


To a Conquering of Spacetime

by exeridu



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-31 16:42:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 64,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exeridu/pseuds/exeridu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Gardevoir washes up unconscious on the beach close to Treasure Town one day. Another Pokemon, a Gallade, is hoping to form an exploration team to discover the secrets behind his Relic Fragment. The two destined partners meet, unknowingly beginning their quest to become as legendary as the universe itself. [Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.] [June 23, 2017: Editing and revision currently in process, partially-uploaded Chapters 5/15 completed. If you happen to be reading to the fic and notice that events don't line up (and the writing style is inconsistent), it's because I'm uploading revised chapters one at a time, sometimes section by section. Many aspects will be different, but the plot line still remains the same. I'm sure late on my promises to update- but believe me, no one is feeling more disappointed about this than myself, the author.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Where the Waves Touch the Shore

_Alma Venus, coeli subter labentia signa_  
_Quae mare navigerum, quae terras frugiferentes_  
_Concelebras..._  
_Quae... rerum naturam sola gubernas_  
_Nec sine te quidquam dias in luminis oras  
_ _Exoritur, neque fit laetum neque amabile quidquam..._

Life-giving Venus, who beneath the gliding stars of heaven  
Fills with your presence the sea that bears our ships  
And the land that bears our crops...  
You alone govern the nature of things,  
And nothing comes forth into the shores of light  
Or is glad or lovely without you...

-Lucretius,  _De Rerum Natura_ , I*

* * *

  ** _Prelude_**

* * *

The beach — it is an extraordinary mode of conception, perception, resolution. It is the conjoining point of rationality and irrationality, where logic and emotion yield to each other, when what is called the paradox has justified its existence. It is the union of everything imaginable and unimaginable, possible and impossible.

The beach — in solitude, it indicates the intangible beauty and truth, justly metamorphosed into the illusion called reality, into what is known as existence. 

The beach — it is a unique mode of setting. It is the only setting in the world where water meets land. Both prevail in their vying for dominance, yet their integrity remains true: they are sincere equals.

For all that is said for the future, it is universally agreed that it is here where two ordinary, remarkable beings met, setting forth the manifestation of an intense, crystalline ripple of the Spacetime Continuum, of the Universe, so far and so long into the distance that it only echoed into its endless mirrors, its endless cycles…

Of course, they had their own beginnings too. After all, they were never Arceus, never God. They could never be.

But never did they think that they would conquer the imperial enormities of the Spacetime Continuum…

* * *

  ** _Chapter 1: Where the Waves Touch the Shore_**

* * *

On the late afternoon of what had been a brilliant day filled with sunshine, a gallade with a small pouch hung around his neck walked down from the high coastal city of Treasure Town to the low shores of the nearby beach. It was something he liked to do every once in every while: the promenade around the enchanting seashore gave him the sense of an infinite and natural beauty that was a distinct contrast from the bustling civilization that was Treasure Town. It was today especially that this retreat would grant him temporary relief from his current worries that he would have preferred not to deal with, and though it would eventually have to be taken care of, the escape would be worth the while.

In this untouched location, the gallade was reminded of the pristine quality of nature, radiant and glowing, a welcome revitalizer from the ever-busy city he lived in. What he cherished most was the fact that it was hardly visited, so the place became almost a sort of rarity, a jewel for most of the pokémon living up in Treasure Town. Ultimately, it was _his_ , in a manner that no one else could take away from him. There were many solitary walks that he had taken upon himself around this beach, and he knew the very geography of this location by heart from its multitude of scattered, shallow pools bordered by surrounding tall rocks to the steep slopes that stretched the entire distance of Treasure Town’s upper coast and beyond.

It was especially at times like now he loved most: the sun, now the color of soft gold, was just beginning to set, the sky shades of warm marigold and amber, the clouds illuminated with light overtones of peach, light rose, and lavender. The ocean glittered from the sun’s casting rays like stardust sprinkled against its waters, while its buoyant waves leapt against each other, revealing momentary translucent turquoise colors visible in the waves’ formation one second and forever gone the next when it subsided back into the ocean waters. Locally-residing krabby, small but noticeable in their number, blew sparkling bubbles, mirror-like and celestial-blue, into the air, adding an inimitable magic to the beach. The overall harmony of the scene was uplifting, and it was enough to grant the gallade a slight, content smile.

The smile didn’t last long: it bent into a slight frown as he turned to the left. The gallade caught the unfamiliar sight of something in the distance, close to a cluster of tall rocks near a shallow puddle. There was a huddle of white, accompanied with a muted shade of light green. It was a curious phenomenon; he had only been expecting an empty and solitary beach as it had been on other days.

The gallade picked up his pace, and walked closer. His eyes grew wider as he began to register what he had seen, thoughts progressively disconcerting and anxious. With increasing alarm in his expression, he grew to realize that it wasn’t something, but some _one_. 

There was a gardevoir lying on the beach, her body fixed uncomfortably into a fetal position: a side of her face lay flat against the soft beach sand while her arms were crossed closely in position together over her chest. Her hands lay half-open hands near her face, her legs pulled up directly in front of her arms, and her back arched into the shape of a semicircle. Her shoulder-length hair and her gown had recently dried from the day’s sunlight, the sand dry in between the folds of her white gown and in wisps of her hair. She was rather skinny, almost as if she were undernourished. Her eyes were closed: was she sleeping? No, her body seemed too still: unconscious?

The gallade stood before her in shock: what was he to make of this situation?

In silence, he crouched down to his knees. He saw that she was still breathing, still alive. Myriads of thoughts multiplied in his head: was it possible that she was a resident of Treasure Town? No, it couldn’t be. The only other gardevoir who lived in Treasure Town was the gardevoir of Team Charm, and he knew there was no way this gardevoir and the gardevoir of Team Charm were one and the same. So, a foreigner? An outsider? That would explain why he didn’t know her¾ then again, now that he thought about it, he knew without a doubt that the last time he had checked the Treasure Town Census, the only gardevoir residing in Treasure Town was that of Team Charm’s. Alright, she was certainly a stranger then, but then how did she end up here? Sand over her entire body… washed up perhaps, here, on the beach?

_Aha! There was a thunderstorm last night! She was washed up?!_

“… Hey,” the gallade said, his voice quiet but assertive. He dismissed the swirling cloud of thoughts madly blowing in his head, leaning modestly closer to her. “Are you…?”

The gardevoir stirred gently against the sand, groaning incoherently as her body shifted slightly from its original position.

“… Can you wake up?” the gallade half-murmured to her, and to himself in curiosity.

Once more, the gardevoir stirred against the sand. What was that voice permeating into her head? A voice that belonged to a male, for sure… As his words echoed into her ears, she groaned again. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, and, without quite realizing she had, she turned her head groggily up to face the direction of where the voice came from.

The gardevoir found herself looking up to a gallade with a concerned face, her eyes meeting his: a silence cascaded over them, and for a long moment in time, their eyes held each other’s, and they could only stare at each other in wonder. Only tender ebbs of waves washing to and from the shore were heard in a soothing and quiet rhythm, but even that sound seemed distant and faraway from the two of them.

The gardevoir blinked, and suddenly, she was wary. She brusquely straightened herself, twisting her head back and forth swiftly in an effort to exercise her muscles, sat up and asked the gallade before her in as careful and stern of a voice she could muster, “Who are you?”

He was taken aback by her sudden harshness. “My name is Redley.”

The gardevoir paused, and registered his name. “… Okay. Where am I?”

“You’re here at the beach, close to Treasure Town above.” Redley tilted his head to one direction, giving acknowledgement to the city above the rocky slopes. “Where did you come from? I’ve never seen you around here before.”

This time, the gardevoir was taken aback. She opened her mouth, as if she were confident in her answer. Instead: “… I…” Her eyes darted away from the gallade’s. “I don’t know… where I came from?”

A frown twisted her face, and then with worry, embarrassment, and confusion, she said, “I… don’t know where I came from. No, I don’t _remember_ where I came from, how I ended up here. I… lost my memory?”

Redley blinked once. How was he to respond to this statement?

The gardevoir moved in an attempt to stand up, her body stiff and sore. A dull ache was pounding her skull incessantly as she turned her head right and left to scan her surroundings, acquainting herself with the strange, unfamiliar landscape around her. Without thinking, she began walking, though she almost tripped over herself on her first step in the sand. Redley caught her before she could hit back down to the ground, extending his arms safely in front of her.

“You need help,” the gallade said, now standing fully next to her. “I can walk with you up to Treasure Town and check you into a hospital.” He was careful around her, as if to fence her in with his arms were she to fall down again.

“No,” the gardevoir gasped, struggling to stand up. “Anything but that. I can’t… I _can’t_ …”

“Why?”

“… It’s nothing but a sore body. I…”

The gardevoir slumped back down back to her knees, momentarily putting her face in her hands. Redley stopped, unsure how to assist her any further.

“But,” Redley began, “how could you refuse? Who knows what’s happened to you?”

“Listen,” the gardevoir snapped abruptly. “I just _know_ I can’t. I’m not…” The gardevoir breathed in harshly. “I’m not from around here, and I know that much. Where I’m from…” She shook her head. “My identity, my _name_ …”

The gardevoir attempted to stand up again as if to prove her self-sufficiency, refusing to meet Redley’s expression of concern. Her head was throbbing painfully, and it wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. Medical care sounded welcoming and relieving to her now, yet why— she asked herself in a frenzy as her body moved stiffly, mechanically— why would she refuse such an offer?

“Who am I?” she asked herself at last, leaning against a ragged stone column with an arm.

Redley stared at her in astonishment. Her adamant refusals were unusual, enough to bring in more concern than usual. Nobody would have normally reject any offer of help like this!

“Listen, I can help you,” Redley started again. “I work with the Exploration Federation and the Magnezone Police Department in Treasure Town.” He indicated the civilization above the distant coast, and then looked back to the gardevoir. “Do you remember your name at least?”

She looked at the direction he had indicated: she saw weathered stone stairs along the slopes leading up to a small strip of colorful, bright buildings on top. She shook her head once. “I’m sorry, but… I can’t afford…” The gardevoir struggled with words. “But my name! My name… is Genevra…?”

A silence went by, the gardevoir’s eyes focused into a distant space beyond the gallade in front of her. “Yes,” she said, nodding her head slowly. “My name is Genevra, I remember that.”

Suddenly, the gardevoir flinched. She stood up again once, standing up for a better view of her surroundings. “There are pokémon nearby,” she said quickly, and Redley spun around behind him to see two pokémon floating towards them: a weezing and a golbat, their presence ominous, casting a foreboding atmosphere around them. Redley’s expression shifted abruptly; it didn’t go unnoticed by Genevra. All of a sudden, it seemed to Redley, the beautiful oasis of the beach was ruined, tainted by their arrival.

“Ah, so this is where the _esteemed_ Bounty Hunter Redley wanders off in his spare time. Or at least, it’s one of his secret places, isn’t it?” the goldbat started with a sneer.

“Wilben, and Gare.” Redley said in greeting with a controlled politeness, and then gave them a nod. “How unexpected that I should meet the both of you here after work.” Then his tone became more clipped, impatient. “What do you want?”

“Whoa-ho-ho,” Wilben the weezing heaved, poisonous miniscule billows emitted from his pores, “no need to act so tough like you do in work. We only came here for one thing.”

“That pouch hanging around your neck,” Gare the goldbat continued. “We need that, at the request of our boss.”

Everyone’s eyes shifted immediately to the gallade’s beige pouch, hanging on a string around his neck.

“Senler asked for it?” Redley eyed them warily.

Both Wilben and Gare laughed. “We wouldn’t be here otherwise if he hadn’t requested so.”

The gallade narrowed his gaze at them, cutting their laughter off sharply. “Absolutely not." 

The two toxic pokémon gave Redley a scheming look. He, in turn, raised his hand to firmly hold his pouch, anticipating the next to come.

“Well, well. So that must mean it has some serious value then.” Wilben smirked.

“The boss _did_ say that that was possible.” Gare narrowed his eyes. “I guess that means we’re only left with one choice...”

Without any warning, both pokémon flew towards Redley. Wilben casted a Clear Smog to Redley, Genevra caught in the midst of it. The gallade was momentarily distracted, covering his face with his arms, and Gare took the opportunity to snatch the pouch, ripping the string around his neck in half. No time was allowed for Redley to retaliate, and faster than the eye could perceive, the two thieves rushed away, disappearing into the dark depths of the nearby arched Beach Cave.

Both the gallade and the gardevoir coughed, still shaking from the sudden attack. Genevra had collapsed back onto her knees in the meantime, and when she stood up again, a fury flared inside her. Now, she stood upright without any trouble, as if the previous pain from her body had gone.

“ _Rude!_ ” Genevra snapped, coughing up the last of the smog inhaled. “Just who exactly _does_ that?!”

The sudden outburst from the gardevoir shocked Redley. He could only look at her for a second, speechless, but quickly proceeded before anything else would happen.

“Are you alright?” Redley quickly asked the gardevoir.

“Oh, I’m just _fine_!” The gardevoir was shaking, her hands curled into fists as she stood straight. “Though I might not be in the best state of health, there was no reason for them to attack that way! Inconsiderate jerks!”

Her temper was almost frightening to witness, Redley thought. Where did that come from?

“That item was important to you, wasn’t it,” Genevra continued, her eyes peering in the direction the two had fled. It wasn’t a question. A slight pause occurred, but Redley spoke again before it could turn into a silence.

“Listen,” Redley said as he swiftly shook his head once, refreshing himself, “you’re hurt! I’ve only found you here just a few minutes before! It is important, but I’ll chase them later— it’s not so much big of a deal any—”

“Sure.” Genevra’s tone was snarky, though Redley could sense it was directed towards the weezing and golbat. “But the point remains as you said, the item is important to you. If anything, we should after chase them.”

And with that, Genevra briskly began striding towards Beach Cave. When she realized Redley wasn’t following her, she turned back around, giving him a questioning glance. “Are you coming to get your item back or not?”

Redley blinked, and then nodded once slowly. “Yes, I’m coming.”

Then, he hurried to catch up with the gardevoir. 

* * *

Their chasing after Wilben and Gare went more slowly than either of them would’ve liked it to have been¾ Genevra eager to get back at what she now called them without fail jerks, and Redley in hopes of retrieving back his stolen item. At first, the direction they flew off was simple to follow: there was only one path to continue going through.

However, as they continued deeper, there were multiple paths taken leading to dead ends and empty pits. They were careful not to separate as they advanced further in the cave, occasionally glancing at one another to check each other’s presence. As time wore on, the fear of not finding the thieves slowly grew between them, though neither of them would acknowledge it out loud with words.

Occasionally in the silence, practical conversation taking place occasionally. (“Let’s try this direction,” or, “We’ve gone through this way before, right?”, and making sure that the landmarks they had passed by were distinctive enough to mark as having passed by previously.) Water dripped from rugged stalactites down into their respective puddles in uninterrupted rhythms, helping to distract the silence, providing a soothing sound that echoed all around. But the overwhelming silence couldn’t be helped as they went along:

“Listen,” Redley addressed the gardevoir, looking towards her. “About earlier, are you sure you’ll be okay? You decided to help me, but you’re hardly in any condition to help anyone. You’ve lost your memory.”

The gardevoir arched an eye. “It’s cute that you think I’m helping you. Don’t forget that I’d like to get back at them for needlessly attacking me earlier back there.”

To this, the gallade was unsure of how to respond. He struggled to think of something to say in reply, but he could think of nothing, and when he had noticed that more silence had accumulated, he realized saying nothing would save himself an awkward position.

* * *

The Beach Cave Pit was modestly sized, its large arched ceiling providing shade from the sun and allowing the cool sea breeze to blow into the clearing. The soft sand beneath led to the mouth of the sea, where a grand view of the distant shorelines stretched beyond.

Wilben and Gare floated in the middle of the clearing, inspecting Redley’s item taken out of its original pouch in the grip of Gare’s foot. Upon sensing the gallade and gardevoir’s arrival from behind, they both turned around immediately, greeting both of them with smug smiles.

“Whoa-ho-ho, look who came back,” Wilben greeted with a cough, toxic clouds puffing out from his pores.

Redley frowned, unimpressed. “Give it back.”

“You mean, this? This _rock_?” Gare sneered, lifting it up as if to tempt him into taking it out of his grasp. “Well, Wilben, it seems like we should have fled sooner back to Senler.”

“Not if I can help that,” Genevra interrupted coolly. Both Wilben and Gare were ready to skedaddle through the opening out of the pit, but the gardevoir had distracted them.

“Whoa-ho, so it seems like the girl’s decided to start talking!” Wilben laughed. “If you really want it that badly, come and get it!”

Genevra gritted her teeth, curling her hands into fists. “You’ll regret ever calling me that!”

Without another moment to spare, Redley picked up immediately after Genevra’s sentence, preparing a Psycho Cut to slash at Gare. Gare dodged the first time, flying rapidly as he tried to tighten his grip on the stone. It took Redley a third try for him to finally hit the bat, and its super-effectiveness knocked the bat into the water. Redley caught the stone midair with his hands. 

Meanwhile, Genevra hit Wilben with a Psychic once, which did much damage, though the Wilben wouldn’t get down very easily as he sprayed Clear Smog all around the gardevoir. Trapped in the white haze, Genevra stilled herself, breathing as little as possible. Feeling a soft breeze come from behind her back, she sensed it was Wilben, and forced herself to drop down into the sand before he could hit her with a Sludge Bomb. When Wilben realized his attack had missed, he struggled in the midst of his own haze, trying to determine where his foe had gone.

The golbat pulled himself out of the water in a furious demeanor, his wings wet and dripping with seawater. Screeching, he prepared a Giga Impact. Redley sensed the opportunity: he led the bat towards the Clear Smog, running into the haze before dodging to the floor.

At that moment, all four pokémon heard screams as Gare smashed into Wilben with his Giga Impact, the bat deflating the air out of the toxic puff-cloud pokémon. Redley had rolled out from under the Clear Smog just before the impact had hit. Genevra, who had already gotten out of the haze a moment before Redley rolled under, stood panting at a distance, comprehending what Redley had just done.

“OWOWOWOW,” some unrecognizable voice shouted out— the exclamation of pain was so distorted neither Genevra or Redley could perceive who's voice it was. 

Without another second to waste, Gare flew away from the Clear Smog, his wings flapping lethargically. “Don’t.. _huff_ … think _…_ _huff_ … you’re done… with… _huff_ …”

Genevra rolled her eyes, clearly unmoved by Gare’s words. Redley simply stood there.

The Clear Smog cleared up immediately as Wilben inhaled its own toxic haze. “Don’t think you’ve won this time! Your victory is a fluke!”

“Not only that, you _stole_ that item!” Gare went on, his accusatory tone growing. “Chief himself witnessed it!”

Redley flared. “You have no right to accuse me of stealing anything!”

Wilben laughed, his cloudlike body taking shape again with air breathed in. “We could report you to the higher-ups for illegal handling of an ongoing investigation! Doesn’t help that you’re already having trouble with some of them anyway.”

Gare cackled. “That’s right! We could ruin you, Redley, if you continue to mess with us like this.”

Genevra shot Redley a questioning look, wondering what was going on. Redley stood very still, though upon closer inspection, Genevra could see his body was trembling. She sensed a threatening aura coming from the gallade, and she became wary.

Thinking fast, the gardevoir casted a piercing glare at both pokémon. “Would you so care as to battle again?”

The pokémon looked at each other, and then looked at the gallade and gardevoir. They had just finished one battle, and they were already exhausted enough— it was best to leave the matter as it was for now.

“This isn’t over! Remember our warning!” Gare declared, and with that, they both skedaddled out of Beach Cave Pit as fast as their fear took them.

Genevra blinked, watching the two figures grow smaller further in the horizon. She let out a breath, and proceeded to walk towards the beige pouch with its broken string. She leaned down, picking it up with both hands, and walked back to Redley, who was looking at her intently.

“I believe this is yours,” the gardevoir said simply.

Redley nodded, taking it back. After opening the pouch, he slipped his stone into the opening, and for a moment, Genevra caught a glimpse of the stone: at first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a chunk of the hardened dirt of earth, but very briefly, on its seemingly dull luster, she could make out a smoothly cut surface, and on it was a curious and foreign design intricately carved with miniscule precision.

The next moment, the stone had shifted back inside the pouch. Redley tightened the pouch by pulling apart its strings, and proceeded to make an improvised knot with the neck string that had snapped apart. Satisfied afterward, he placed it back around his neck.

“Let’s head back to the beach.”

* * *

The walk back to the beach was much shorter than it was to navigate to the Beach Cave Pit, both Genevra and Redley felt. During then, both were content to walk in silence, neither saying a word.

The sun had set more than halfway under the ocean, the entire seaside brimming with gold and amber. Krabby were still blowing bubbles, which sparkled in celestial blue against the afternoon light. The ocean waves continued ebbing back and forth against the sand, each wave growing louder as it slid inward, softer as it receded away back into its waters.

Redley and Genevra stood facing across each other, the sunlight outlining both pokémon. There was a moment of silence, and then:

“I have to thank you for this, for helping me get my item back.” The gallade unfurled his fingers that had tightened around the beige pouch. “What they stole from me means a lot to me. I’m sure you know that, but...”

“Glad I could be of some help,” Genevra said quietly, “especially if it’s personal.”

Redley nodded, still looking at the pouch. “There is a lot of history I share with this item.” The gallade looked back to the gardevoir. 

Suddenly, as if on cue, Genevra felt her migraine from earlier hit back again. Immediately, the gardevoir put her hands to her head, as if to subdue the throbs pulsing around her skull. After the encounter with the weezing and golbat, her body had completely forgotten about the pain. Genevra inhaled deeply, doing her best to keep from whimpering out in pain. Redley started towards her, only for Genevra to put a hand out in front of her.

“I’m sorry for any trouble I might’ve caused you earlier,” Genevra said quite primly, letting go of her head from her hand. She sighed raggedly. “I’m fine for now, and I think I’ll be able to find my way from here.”

That said, the gardevoir turned around, starting in the opposite direction from Redley.

“Wait.” The gallade ran, circling around to stop her, lifting a hand to prevent her from moving any more. “You can’t be serious. You admitted earlier to losing your memory. You need help.”

The gardevoir looked away from the gallade, unable to meet his eyes.

“Why don’t you just accept it?”

“I’m okay. I’ll regain it eventually.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

The gardevoir said nothing, keeping her gaze down to the sand, remaining adamant about her answer. Redley stood there, looking at her expectantly. The silence held for a long moment, and the gallade began feeling defeat. The gardevoir was stubborn, and at this rate, he felt forcing her to accept help was wrong. 

Then: “I just know I can’t be known. I know it sounds weird, but I can’t let others know of my existence.” 

“… What?”

“I know! It sounds preposterous, really strange. Just, believe me when I say that! Maybe it has to do with something about my memory, maybe I somehow remember that I can’t be known. Because that’s what it feels like, to be honest with you.”

Redley could only look at gardevoir in surprise.

“Listen.” The gallade’s voice was gentle. “You’re so adamant about not wanting any care, but if you don’t know why you keep doing this, then what’s the point? How can you even say that when you’re basing what you know about yourself on uncertain memory?”

Genevra looked defeated. “All I can say is that I can’t trust myself to accept any offer. I need to spend some time by myself to figure myself out.”

“Then you can trust me when I say that all I want to do is help.” Redley was doing his best to be persuasive.

“I barely know you; I’ve just met you today! I don’t really know who you are, or who I am. I don’t even know how I wound up here.”

Redley’s eyes widened slightly. “The thunderstorm last night! Do you have any memory of that?”

Genevra blinked. “There was a thunderstorm last night?”

“Yes! That may explain why you can’t remember anything.”

Genevra faltered at Redley’s response.

“And even if you say you need time alone, you don’t have anywhere to go afterwards, do you? From what I gather, it seems like you don’t know this area very well. If you stay here for a little while, maybe you’ll discover something about yourself.”

The gardevoir frowned. His words were not enough to make her feel any more secure about her current situation.

“I can’t compromise others finding out about my existence.” Genevra spoke quietly under her own breath. Redley nearly missed her words, but he heard them. “This is the one thing I must absolutely hold true to myself. I don’t know why, but that’s how it is." 

The headache was pounding incessantly, and only getting stronger and stronger. Genevra stood still for a moment, breathing deeply, balancing herself. She saw before her line of vision a gallade, _Redley_ , looking at her with a concerned expression… _A too-concerned expression_ , she thought to herself, slightly annoyed at the fact he happened to care this much.

But before she could tell him to leave her alone once more, her eyelids closed, her knees collapsed, and without realizing she had, she collapsed downward. Only Redley, with his swift reflexes, caught her in time before she fell completely to the floor.

“Genevra!” The gallade hoped his voice would reach her ears before fainting. “Hang in there!”

There was no response from the gardevoir. She hung in his arms, limp and unanimated as she had been before.

Redley sighed, doing his best to collect Genevra in the least painful posture as possible. _…I have no choice now, do I._

The gallade stood there quietly for a moment, studying Genevra intently. He knew right away what he was going to do next would not please her in the slightest, but he hoped the next time she woke up she’d come to her senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Quotation and translation of Lucretius is taken from Henry Adams' "The Education of Henry Adams," edited, with notes and an introduction by Jane Gooder, Penguin Classics Edition, London, 1995. Found on page 434 (Latin) and page 541, note 15 (translation).


	2. They Who Embark Are Seekers

By the time Redley had gotten back to Treasure Town, evening was well underway. Deep blue twilight had fallen upon the sky, the first stars twinkling softly in the blooming night. Treasure Town still buzzed with activity, chatter present among its citizens and lighthearted laughter heard in sporadic intervals. One by one, the fire-lit lampposts lining the cobblestone paths were kindled by lamppost-lighters on duty, and they burned brightly against the darkening sky. Several storefronts and markets open during the day were now closed, but in their place, several other restaurants and nightlife opened for Treasure Town’s entertainment. The atmosphere was lively, and would continue to last well into the night.

Redley noticed all of this as he quietly looked from a window of the Treasure Town Clinic, waiting for the clerk to return so that remaining paperwork could be finished. He stood in front of the desk, leaning against it with folded arms, looking pensive out into the busy and bustling town.

The gallade summed up his current situation: he had managed to bring the unconscious Genevra to top of the weathered stairs leading to Treasure Town, having no choice but to hold her in his arms and carefully cradle her head along his chest. Though he could have carried the gardevoir all the way to the clinic himself, a couple of locals spotted the gallade, offered their help - to which Redley had no choice but to accept, as they would not take no for an answer - and came back with a stretcher speedily obtained from the clinic. Immediately, she was sent to the emergency room, where a doctor on duty proceeded to briefly question Redley about the sudden appearance of the unconscious patient. After having finished, the gallade was forced to sit in the waiting room for quite some time, until the doctor came out and confirmed that Genevra was in stable condition. Now all that was left was to wait until she could wake up again, and then matters could proceed further.

Yet, her pleading of not being sent to medical help lingered in his mind. Understandably, it was still baffling as to why she would adamantly refuse help when she was in no condition to refuse it—surely, her strange refusal was just her undergoing some sort of trauma? But how could that be when she was perfectly capable of helping Redley fend off Wilben and Gare earlier?

_Well, the matter will take care of itself when she wakes up. I had no other choice, and I’ll just have to say that to her when she wakes up._

If there was anything unusual about today, he continued thinking to himself, finding the gardevoir named Genevra would be it.

“Alright.” The clerk in charge of the front desk, a flaafy named Lina, had come back from the hallway leading to the patient rooms, getting Redley’s attention back. She was wearing a white lab coat, a clipboard in arm held close to her chest along with a pencil in one hand. “I’m gonna have to register someone she can refer to, and you’re it. Name please?”

“Redley,” the gallade said his name, and proceeded to spell it for the clerk’s convenience. She continued asking him more questions, though most of the questions she asked required information Redley didn’t have. Each item she asked prompted mostly “no’s” and uncertain answers on the gallade’s part, but she eventually came to her final query.

“This is something that I just want to make sure we have correct on our patient’s file description, since anything about her can hardly be filled in. You’re saying that she was found along the beach below, unconscious, by you, earlier this afternoon?”

“Yes.”

“And that she has no memory of anything about herself except her name?”

Redley nodded. “That’s it, more or less.” 

Lina sighed, electric sparks flashing off in vexation from her wool, then subsiding. “This one’s going to be difficult. We’re going to need a psychiatrist for this one, and our expert is out of town right now. You’re absolutely sure there’s nothing else about her that could help us with her situation?”

Redley nodded to the clerk once more. “Yes, I’m positive. I can’t give you any more information that’d help. The only thing that I’d like is to make sure this is confidential, and that it doesn’t get out anytime soon.” The gallade hoped this confidentiality promise would be good enough for Genevra.

Lina nodded. “Of course, the confidentiality goes without saying. It's part of our policy.” The flaafy sighed again. “Alright. Well, thank you for all you’ve given us. Expect us to hear from us. We’ll let you know when she awakes first thing.”

“Sure.” Redley nodded one last time. “Thanks for everything.”

 _Well, that’s the last time today I’ll have to make sure she’s okay, hopefully_ , Redley thought as he pushed open the door, and then sighed in relief.

Walking out of the health clinic, the gallade kept his eyes down the ground below, refusing to meet his eyes with anyone else along his path. All he wanted to do was head home, and for the first time in all his years of living here, he realized that he rather liked having his home in the town outskirts, where he could be isolated from the rest of Treasure Town.

Of course, Redley’s home had always been in Treasure Town. The gallade grew up here his entire life, especially with his guardian who looked after him ever since he was a young ralts. Eventually, after several years of studying and training at the Marowak Dojo, he was hired by the Exploration Federation Department to be a bounty hunter, though he frequently ended up working for the Magnezone Police Department as well. (Both departments in Treasure Town worked in tandem rather often, so naturally, Redley was traded back and forth by the administrators doing various tasks as a bounty hunter, mostly catching outlaws and fugitives for breaking the laws.) 

This plan seemed to be a plan meant for smooth-sailing, so Redley had thought, and hoped, even. He was going to continue working his job, find a girlfriend, settle down… That was what the plan always was for everyone who had to grow up, one way or another. At one point, he was looking forward to his apparent future, so much so that he was, in actuality, carrying out many of these tasks, as though he were crossing them off the bucket list. But as time went on, the gallade found himself more disillusioned by the prospects of what looked more to be an unfulfilling destiny. He yearned for something more he could gain from, not something as empty, vacant, _meaningless_ , as just completing what now looked like chores to become a member of society… Involuntarily, the gallade moved his right hand to his pouch hanging on his neck, gripping it firmly as if to protect it.

“Redley!” A voice called to the gallade, but it registered only vaguely into his ears. He kept walking, not quite paying full attention to what he heard.

“Redley!” The same voice had called again, this time more assertive.

The gallade paused. He lifted his head, turning around to see the direction the voice came from.

A simisage was walking towards him, grinning and waving hello with one hand, the other holding a storm lantern. He was a familiar friend, and in that instant, Redley felt a surge of warmth radiate inside him. 

“Kedryck!” Redley recognized him, and gave a small smile.

“How much longer would I have to call your name?” Kedryck the simisage laughed, now next to the gallade. He patted Redley’s shoulder with his free hand a couple of times in a good-hearted greeting. “I called your name three times! I was getting concerned if I had called the wrong gallade, you see.” 

“Sorry, I got distracted. Didn’t notice.” _Three times? I thought I only heard him say my name twice…_ Redley gave a half-hearted shrug, and then chuckled along. No matter: the gallade himself was distracted earlier anyway, spaced out into his own thoughts. He must have been so lost in his own mind that he couldn’t have heard the first call.

“Ah, no worries. I know you’ve been having a rough time as of late. Heard about the rough situation back at HQ earlier before heading out this evening. Figured you were thinking to yourself.”

Redley’s small smile went away. “Oh. You heard about what happened earlier.”

Kedryck nodded sympathetically. “Yeah. I did.

In that moment, Redley knew the simisage’s understanding of his situation was sincere. The gallade lowered his eyes, heaving a sigh.

“Redley, lad.” Kedryck’s voice turned serious, his gaze to Redley darkening. The gallade couldn’t help but meet his eyes as the simisage addressed him. “You know I’m concerned for you. We all are.”

The gallade studied Kedryck for a moment: Redley had known him for a number of years now, and he was a dutiful town watchman for all the years he had been working. Kedryck was at least twice his age, old enough to be his father, and while Redley was not that close to him, as he was just another senior coworker, he did hold the simisage with due regard because of the rigorous work-ethic he had for the long time he had been working. Moreover, Redley found his discussions with Kedryck mildly pleasant; generally, there was always something to be gleaned from in their shared conversations.

“Yeah. Well, I can say that I’m not exactly proud about all that’s been happening there.”

“I know. This isn’t normally like you. Now, I hope this isn’t prying too much into your life, but is everything going on okay for you? I know that the issue with your missing guardian is still a sensitive matter… We’re all assuming that this is the root of your troubles.”

Redley fought the urge to bristle: the mention of his guardian was unnecessary and unforgivably casual, so why bring it up? It was almost insensitive of him to bring it up now! The gallade blinked, swallowing the distaste building up inside him, and said instead, “Sure. I can say without a doubt that I’m not happy with how that’s going." 

“The investigators are doing their best they can,” Kedryck continued, and his voice grew lower. “Though, both you and I know that the investigators can’t do anything at this rate.”

“That’s precisely what it is,” Redley suddenly snapped sharply, and realized his outburst in anger. He quickly breathed out a sigh, and then closed his eyes. “Sorry. I know that nothing else can be done. That’s why it’s so frustrating.”

Kedryck merely nodded. “Redley, I just want to offer you my support. Just know that we all have your back.”

The gallade nodded numbly. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Kedryck sighed, giving a friendly smile to Redley. “Well, I have to get complete my rounds around town. If anything, I’m glad to see that you’re hanging in there. It’s good seeing you. Take care, okay?”

Unable to say much more, the gallade nodded again and said rather tightly, “You too.”

The simisage waved goodbye as he left, and Redley was left standing there alone for a short time, watching him leave. Abruptly, however, the simisage turned back, looking at Redley once more with an expression that read he had just remembered something. “Oh, this is something mighty strange that I’ve heard has happened: a murder happened just last night, in the midst of the thunderstorm! Can you believe it? It’s a first that’s ever happened around these parts in a while!”

Redley blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. This was news to him. “What?”

Kedryck shook his head. “I can hardly believe it myself. Also found out about this earlier at HQ.”

Within the gallade, feelings of skepticism and disbelief rose inside him. It was difficult for him to process what he had just heard. “How come I didn’t hear about this earlier?”

“This news had just come up by one of our detectives by the time you had left HQ,” Kedryck answered, and gave a disappointed sigh. He was unquestionably uneasy about the matter as much as Redley was.

“Who was the victim? Where did it happen?”

“I don’t know who the victim is, I think that’s information yet to be released. It happened just near the outskirts of town, but I don’t think it’s near your home at all. I heard it was closer along the outskirts near the slopes leading to the beach. You live closer near the crossroads, don’t you?”

“Yes, but…” The gallade groaned, placing a hand to his forehead. It wasn’t at all reassuring to hear this now of all times.

“The investigation is still ongoing, but in the meantime, make sure to look after yourself now, you hear? We’re all a little bit higher on guard now because of the incident… Not to mention, this hasn’t been made public yet, but I suspect the Treasure Town Times will publish something about this tomorrow.”

There was a silence between the gallade and the simisage, both realizing the severity of the news delivered and thinking of the heavy implications of the situation.

“Well.” Kedryck cleared his throat. “Redley, you’d best be going home now. Make sure you watch yourself, you hear? 

“Yeah.” The gallade nodded. “Will do. You take care too, alright?

The job of the watchman suddenly seemed more dangerous than it normally was, but Kedryck, having been a watchman for a solid number of years, shook his head. “I will be fine. You won’t need to worry about me. Make sure you get some good rest.” With that, the simisage turned around once again, waving goodbye as did so. “Take care, lad!”

* * *

_A murder has happened last night? During a thunderstorm? How could that have possibly happened? Treasure Town hasn’t had one since…_

Redley couldn’t remember the last time a murder had occurred in Treasure Town at all—in all his life living here, it seemed that there was no such thing to have taken place. The most severe of crimes happened to be robberies and kidnappings, all of which bounty hunters such as Redley himself took care of. Murders were something that happened in other cities, and Treasure Town was generally known to be a safe, almost utopian civilization, where everyone generally coexisted in harmony. An offense as great as murder… There could be no good reason for such an act!

The gallade worked through his thoughts as he neared his home, muttering to himself incomplete sentences as he grasped the events of the day. 

Redley’s home was along the ruins of the once-fortified stone walls encircling all along Treasure Town (with the exception of the beach below), placed on high mounds and hills which rose upward if one were to look from the center of Treasure Town. The stone walls were boundaries which marked several centuries of time having passed throughout history; Treasure Town was a civilization that had lasted for perhaps almost a millennium, and the stone walls that were built surrounding the town had been constructed to fight off barbarians and other conquerors power-hungry to call Treasure Town their own. Today, the citizens of Treasure Town no longer had to worry about outsiders invading their beloved city, and the lack of a military allowed for the disarray of the fortified walls into ruins. In their fragmented place, several locals of Treasure Town ended up establishing residential homes, which soon ended up being known simply as the outskirts. The homes weaved in and out of the decrepit walls, spread about like pumpkins in a patch.

Because the walking distance ended up becoming quite a far way in comparison to the residential homes within Treasure Town, walking there could take as long as a half hour from Treasure Town at most. One had to account for the zigzagging dirt paths which meandered all the hillsides and slopes—frequently, there were sharp and steep curves which one had to be careful of. Redley himself had gotten used to it—he was in fair shape, physically speaking (and had to be for his current occupation anyhow). This evening, however, it seemed that the unusual line of events that had occurred to him drained him of his energy even more than expected.

At last, the gallade reached his home, which occupied flat ground on the hillside cleared away by the hands of pokémon. He searched for his keys inside his messenger bag, and after having found them, unlocked the door to his home. 

Redley’s first instinct was to kindle his oil lamps for light, but remembering that he had not yet cleaned out his oil lamps in a long while, he sighed in irritation and shoved it to the back of his mind, procrastinating his overdue promise to cleanse them of their soot-stained glass. He’d have to work with the dark for now, and he was grateful for the pale, silvery moonlight that was strong enough to seep through his windows tonight. 

Then, he realized that his own home was a mess: there were books spread all over the floor, some stacked on top of one another like towers whilst others were opened to what looked like random pages (even though he intended to bookmark them and get back to them another time). Buckets of water needed to be replaced; the gallade was sure he had no drinkable water in his home, and had been meaning to dump it out, and barrels of fruit and berries, stored in a corner of the home, were beginning to rot; the gallade knew this without hesitation. Several articles of clothing hung on a chair also needed to be washed, stained from the adventures Redley had been undergoing as a bounty hunter.

Although it had been his intention to clean up his home, the gallade was too exhausted to do anything further. Looking at his mess made all motivation to clean up vanish. He locked the entrance door and dropped his messenger bag straight down from his shoulder, joining the clutter on the floor. Redley yawned once, and went straight to his nest in the back of his home, which was divided by a bamboo partition, a cozy bundle of soft hay, blankets, and a pillow. Collapsing on his knees before laying down, the pouch with its attached string falling beside the gallade, he went to sleep instantly without any trouble.

* * *

Genevra had awoken when she felt something warm and inviting softly melting over her skin, and it was a welcoming sensation in comparison to the dull pounding against her skull— _Still?_ The gardevoir thought, vexed. _I still have this headache? How much longer must I bear this?_ Then, as consciousness had slowly dawned on her, she recognized she was in a completely different environment than she had last remembered to be. For starters, she was lying on her back with unfamiliarly comfortable cushions underneath her body: even her head rested upon a cushion of its own, providing a luxury to the gardevoir she felt was heavenly, as though she had never had this treat. But fear quickly gripped her faster than the comfort had, and jolting into full awareness from it, she opened her eyes jerkily, wondering in alarm where on Arceus’ great earth she was.

The first thing she found herself staring at was a wooden ceiling, which stared blankly back at her. Moving her head to her left, she saw sunlight percolating through a glassless window, the source of the warmth permeating into her skin. Within her peripheral vision, she discovered layers of fleecy white blankets atop her body, and the gardevoir realized just then where she could have possibly been.

“Ah, it looks like you’ve awoken,” a homely and attentive voice spoke. The gardevoir jerked her head to the origin of the voice to her right, and found a chansey smiling amiably to her. “How are you feeling, dear?”

Genevra blinked, totally surprised by the chansey’s hospitality. “I’m… I’m fine?”

The chansey’s friendly expression turned into doubt, but she laughed it off and said, “Isn’t that what they all say? I suppose you’re hungry, aren’t you?”

The gardevoir blinked again, feeling socially inadequate to answer her properly. “Y-Yes…”

“Alright, dear! Ah, it’s just perfect timing that I happen to be in here when you wake up. I’ll go straight to the café and grab you some breakfast. In the meantime, you stay put, alright?”

And so, Genevra, feeling helpless and panicked at her situation, merely stayed in her bed, having the sense that she was something like a sitting duck. The gardevoir knew making an outburst in the middle of wherever she was at the moment wouldn’t do any good for anyone, especially for herself. She remained in bed, passive, but her mind fired with too many possibilities and not enough answers to understand her current situation.

 _Redley!_ She suddenly recalled the events of the day before, the very first pokémon she had seen upon washing up on the shore. The gardevoir frowned as the recollections coursed through her mind: the gallade, the beach, the idiotic weezing and golbat, the battle… _Dammit! He brought me here…! Even after I told him more than enough times not to!_  

Genevra sighed in agitation, knowing she was defeated now and would have to remain here furthermore. But how she wished she didn’t have to remain in her passive situation any longer…!

In due time, the good-natured chansey had brought her breakfast, and upon noticing the scents which wafted into her room, the gardevoir’s stomach groused in hunger. Genevra looked at the food with eager eyes, noticing a toasted pastry on one plate, and a bowl of something porridge-like with chopped-up berries scattered within. It occurred to her now that she had no memory of the last time she had eaten anything, and when the tray of food was brought to her bed, she wolfed it down more aggressively than she expected. No doubt it looked ungraceful and unseemly, but Genevra couldn’t have cared: all of her social proprieties were tossed out the window.

The chansey continued her chatter on checking Genevra’s health in the midst of her eating breakfast, while Genevra responded only when it was necessary with shakes to indicate the negative and nods indicating the affirmative, speaking as little as possible with one-word answers when required. The gardevoir noted with amusement how it appeared that the chansey could have been having a conversation with herself given the apparent nature of it, but the amusement dispersed when the chansey came to her final inquiry about Redley.

“So, dear, while I wasn’t here last night when you had come in, apparently, it was written here that someone named Redley had checked you in and is your contact?”

“Yes,” Genevra said frankly, surprised to hear this tidbit of information, yet not at all surprised to hear of Redley's name once more.

“But at the same time… you’re not in good psychological health.” The chansey scanned the documents on the clipboard, eyes furrowing dubiously. “Hm, our expert is out of town still, and should be coming back within the next few days. I’m going to have a discussion with the clerk up front. In the meantime, you stay put!” With that, the chansey vigorously left the room, and the gardevoir was alone once more.

What happened to her next did not at all delight her.

* * *

“Redley!” a muffled, high-pitched soprano called in the distance. “Redley!” 

The gallade awoke to a rather annoying call from somewhere… _Outside the door?_ He thought drowsily.

“Redley!” Following the call of his name this time were several hasty knocks.

The gallade groaned, feeling one of his bottom eyelids twitching. He did not want to open his eyes, and worse, he had a convincing hunch who it was at the door.

“If you don’t open this door, I’m going to come in myself!”

Redley grumbled to himself, forcing himself to open his eyes. He rose from his nest, hastily taking off the pouch on him and rubbing his palm against his face, about to toss the blanket to the side. He knew he was hardly in a presentable state at the moment, having just woken up, and he was sure he was still half asleep, but the pokémon at the door would cause more unneeded and incessant clamor if he didn’t get up soon.

“I’m comi—”

A pretty tsareena barged in from the door, holding a basket of goods beside her in a hand: Redley’s girlfriend had arrived.

“Oh, Redley, look at yourself! You haven’t even gotten up!” The tsareena placed the basket on a nearby table and adjusted her sparkling champagne chiffon scarf, which was wrapped into a large perky bow over her neck. She stood for a moment, turning her head around to observe the environment surrounding her. Her face wrinkled in disapproval when she noticed the striking untidiness that swamped all over the space. “Your home is a mess too. You haven’t been taking care of yourself well enough, haven’t you dear?”

“Jeanette, I was _about_ to get up. You breaking in like that doesn’t help.” The gallade stood up now, kicking the blankets to his side. He approached the tsareena, mildly angered that she had broken in his home without his consent. “And thanks for reminding me of the current state of my home. It speaks pretty well for itself, you know.” 

The tsareena sighed, unfazed by the gallade’s words. “Redley, I stood there for a while outside waiting for you to answer the door! I wanted to see if you were okay, and I couldn’t really see you from the window outside. That’s why I used the key you gave me, after all. It’s not breaking in, like you said. And, I brought you warm breakfast and some fresh food. You need to eat it before it gets cold! I bought it right from Mauve Bakery first thing this morning.”

The gallade looked at the basket placed on the table: within, there were ripe oran and pecha berries, looking as though they had been freshly plucked, while a white paper bag imprinted with the _Mauve Bakery_ logo sat snugly next to the berries. From the bag, Redley smelled what he guessed was warm, baked bread. Then, he realized he was very hungry, and it came to him that he had not at all eaten dinner last night.

Redley lifted the paper bag from its basket, opening it. Inside, he found a croissant filled with pecha-razz berry jam, which he pulled out. The pastry was warm in his hand, and the toasty aroma swirled in the air.

“Thanks for the breakfast,” Redley said after swallowing his first bite.

Jeanette shook her head; it was her indication that the thanks wasn’t needed. “Redley. We need to talk.”

The gallade met his eyes to the tsareena. He was listening.

Jeanette sighed, and began with a matter-of-factly tone. “I heard about the altercation you had with one of the higher-ups at the Exploration Federation HQ.”

Redley choked on a piece of his croissant, but swallowed it in time before it could cause any more discomfort. He coughed once before saying, “Jeanette, I really _don’t_ need to hear about this. Can you leave this issue alone?”

“Leave it alone? No! How can I when this concerns _you_?”

“It is nothing to get worried about,” the gallade said this dismissively, but he had a feeling this conversation would persist on Jeanette’s part.

“Um, it _is_ something to get worried about! Do you know how much I looked for you everywhere yesterday evening? I went to HQ last night to check in on you, and then heard your coworkers talking about it outside near the entrance. They explained to me what they heard, and then I ran to look for you. You weren’t even at the beach! I was so worried for you last night.” Jeanette’s voice became more agitated and furious with each word, her sweet soprano fluttering as though she were hurt. “Where did you go?”

Just then, Redley wished he hadn’t given her a copy of the key to his home; he wouldn’t have had to put up with this exasperating anxiety of hers. The gallade groaned, thinking, _Well, I was at the beach, but you must have been there when I was with Genevra chasing down the weezing and golbat._

“I was taking a long walk,” Redley answered briskly instead, knowing that he had to satisfy the question, or else one of her nagging bouts would undoubtedly occur. “After the altercation, I needed to simmer down, so I went to take a walk at the beach. It was a long walk, and that’s probably why you couldn’t find me.”

The long walk wasn’t exactly a lie—he did have to chase Wilben and Gare for his relic fragment back all the way down at the beach cave. The detail with Genevra didn’t matter either, or so he thought. Jeanette didn’t need to know about that.

The tsareena stood there rigidly, observing the gallade for a few seconds. Then, she seemed to relax, her shoulders easing down. “Okay. Fine. I’m happy that you got to calm down.”

Redley released a harsh sigh, and said bitterly before taking another bite, “I suppose sooner or later _everyone_ is going to hear about my little incident.”

“Oh, Redley.” Jeanette’s expression turned to pity now, her eyes reading worry. “I’m sure they’ll forgive you for it. After all, everyone knows you’re their best bounty hunter! There’s no way they could give you up over a small thing like this… It couldn’t be entirely your fault!”

“Yes, well. That’s easy for you to say.” The gallade didn’t share her feelings on the matter.

“What… What do you mean?”

“… He technically started it, but I lost my temper and attacked him first. I was being the unprofessional one,” Redley mumbled in between bites. He realized he must have appeared unpleasant, speaking with his mouth full while confessing his wrongdoing, but it didn’t matter to him more than it mattered that Jeanette, in addition to Kedryck last night, continued this conversation he didn’t want to carry.

“Redley!” The tsareena exclaimed his name, appalled, a hand moving to cover her mouth.

“Might as well spare you the horror later and tell you the truth right now from my own mouth.” Redley sighed again, finishing the last bit of his croissant, and realized quickly afterwards he was thirsty. Immediately, he remembered that he had some leftover water from yesterday in his canteen. The gallade leaned down towards his messenger bag, and searched for it.

Jeanette was silent for a moment before she spoke up quietly with concern, her voice dropping to a hush: “This is still about your guardian, isn’t it?”

The gallade froze midway as he searched for his canteen at hearing her words, keeping his eyes downward. “What do _you_ think?” he answered with a mocking tone, now digging out his canteen. 

The tsareena was in complete disbelief at Redley’s hostile response, having briefly paused in a blank speechlessness. “You know you don’t have to answer with that attitude! I didn’t ask for it. Besides, basically everyone knows about it. Sorry to break it to you! You wish it were still kept a secret but now everyone in HQ knows about it!”

“Yes, that’s true, but I didn’t need _you_ to point out something so painfully obvious.” Redley’s voice was starkly contemptuous, revealing without apology his displeasure at hand.

“Redley, I mentioned it because I’m your girlfriend, and I care about you. We both made the obligation to take care of each other!”

“You know what, even if we are dating, who even asked you to butt into my business?! My life is still my life, and we don’t have to share every single aspect about it together!” Redley shot back, standing back up now. For a moment, it appeared to the tsareena, the gallade was intimidating, his full physique almost towering everything else in the room. “Besides, didn’t we agree to take a break from each other for some time?”

“It’s only been a few days!” Jeanette defended herself with as much command as she could muster, but the moment she spoke, she heard herself come off as meek instead. “All I wanted to do was to say hello and see how you were doing! Is that too much?”

“Yes, it _is too_ much. I’m certainly going to need more than a few days to have the time to myself.” Redley opened the canteen, finishing the leftover amount of water inside.

Jeanette curled her hands into fists, her facial muscles twisting in anger. She had done her best to prevent herself from igniting, but now it couldn’t be helped. “What is it with you now these days? Why are you so withdrawn? You were never like this! I miss you, I miss _us_ , and now you never want to talk to me, to anyone. You never want to be around anyone. Always avoiding Treasure Town when you can. I just want to understand what’s going on—all I want to do is help you!”

“I don’t need the help, thank you very much. And you know what else? I think we should rethink our relationship status. I’ve been having doubts about _us_ lately anyway.”

The tsareena paused herself; in that moment, she felt the blow of a defeat and was unable to say anything in retaliation. The silence was deafening. “Redley, you can’t be saying that!”

The gallade gave a hard look to Jeanette, glowering, “Oh, but I _am_ saying it, whether you like it or not.”

The tsareena constrained her whimper from her throat, her voice tight. “Why? This can’t be!” 

“Because of _reasons_.”

“Because of _what_?” The reply was incredibly obstinate; how dare he give an incredulous answer!

“I’m not going to talk about this matter anymore with you; I don’t have any obligation to.”

“Yes, you do! Redley, I came looking for you last night because I care for you, and I came this morning, with your _breakfast_ and some _food_ for you because _I care for you!_ So even if you didn’t ask for me, it’s not like you can even ask! You have no choice but for me to care for you!” Jeanette was pleading, making her look pitifully repulsive to Redley’s eyes. She was _smothering_ him, getting too carried away with herself with everything she claimed to have given to him, and the gallade didn’t like it one bit. He had enough of the conversation, and with the way it was turning, he didn’t want to partake in it any longer.

“Jeanette.” The gallade addressed her very slowly, calmly, and emphasized each word with venom in his voice. “If you really cared for me, you’d get out of my home right now and leave me alone. I want _my_ home to _myself_ , and I want _my_ time to _myself_. We can share _our_ time sometime and someplace else. I want you to _go away_.”

The second Redley said it, he instantly regretted his words. It was too rude of a response to someone in deepening desperation, and he knew it.

Jeanette blinked once. Then, she blinked again, rapidly, doing her best to stifle the tears. She was doing everything in her capability to compose herself, feeling the budding sobs eager to escape herself. The tsareena refused to give in, but it was becoming more difficult not to yield to her tears.

“Fine. I’ll leave you alone. I’m sorry.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, and she took her leave quietly without another word, keeping her head lowered as she walked. Jeanette forcefully brought the wooden door to the doorframe, and it sounded overwhelming in Redley’s home, the echoes trailing off along the walls.

The gallade sighed, mixed feelings of anger and guilt brewing inside him. On one hand, he thought, there was no use in calling her back and apologizing: it would feel insincere. Yet on the other, he was unduly proud to give an apology; he felt he had suffered through enough ordeals and shouldn’t have had to put up with any more. The perversity swam almost without remorse through his head. 

Still, the multitude of thoughts whirled in Redley’s mind: Jeanette was right when he mentioned how withdrawn he had become. He always avoided pokémon when he could, choosing to ignore greetings from various individuals around town. He no longer had any care for those around him as he once had, especially towards Jeanette. Much as he didn’t want to admit it, ever since the break from their relationship, he had hardly given a thought to her: she didn’t exist to him any longer the past few days.

What had happened to him?

_No matter. I can’t stay hung up over this. I have to go to work._

Redley shook his head once, wanting to rid of the thoughts in his mind, and to get his priorities in order. Looking at the time on a clock hung crookedly above his kitchen table, he saw that it was a little past eight in the morning.

There was certainly no way he could clean up his entire home early enough before he had to leave to check into work at nine. Sighing with agitation, he looked for essentials to pack up, grabbing an oran and pecha berry from the basket and stuffing them into his messenger bag. The water bottle would have to be refilled at Treasure Town, which he’d have to remind himself to do later.

When the gallade left his home, he closed the door a little bit more strongly than he had expected.

* * *

The Exploration Federation HQ was an establishment which occupied its place among the bustling neighborhoods in Treasure Town. It was a tall two-story building constructed of faded red bricks and a trussed roof, dormer windows poking out from the slanted roofs on both sides. An antique bell tower anchored the corner near the back, a civil defense siren stationed at the peak of its cupola, while at the front were steps leading to a small porch, its wooden boards painted in white, giving way to a set of double doors as its entrance.

Redley entered the building unceremoniously, ignoring the looks of surprise and whispers from his coworkers. He checked off his name at the bulletin board displayed at the foyer, clocking in his sign-in time. The gallade assumed some higher-up would see it soon, and he’d probably get called into their office quickly enough.

“Redley!” a baritone voice boomed from behind him, callously abrasive. Nearby coworkers jumped up in shock from the volcanic outburst, all frightened out of their wits. Only Redley remained nonchalant to a degree that even surprised the gallade himself, standing still temporarily, indistinctly anticipating the next to come.

_Good grief, here it goes._

The gallade turned around, unintimidated, finding the director of the Exploration Federation giving him a burningly stern look. Dr. Peyton, a blastoise, stood with a commanding presence, his arms folded across his chest as his vermillion eyes bore through the gallade’s. It was impossible not to meet his overpowering gaze.

“In my office. Now.”

* * *

 

After closing the door to Dr. Peyton’s office, it took a few good seconds of silence for the blastoise to collect himself before speaking. His back was turned to Redley as he thought to himself, closing his eyes in concentration. Behind his figure, the morning sunlight seeped through a round-arched window, illuminating the silhouette of the blastoise as his shadow extended on the wooden floor.

When Dr. Peyton was ready, he gave a gruff sigh, turning back around to face the gallade. He spoke with a surprisingly diplomatic voice, an acute difference from the violent, threatening voice he had used earlier in front of their fellow coworkers. “You know why you’re here.”

Redley said nothing, waiting for his boss to continue speaking. He stood with his arms side by side in front of the door, as though he had all the patience in the world.

“I talked with Deputy Olind yesterday after I heard it happened. I thought of calling to get you but figured you needed the time to yourself. Now, what I want to know is this: why did you blow up in front of your superior?" 

The gallade answered without any hesitation. “First off, he had no right whatsoever to mention my list of failures in front of all coworkers. He was practically announcing it for everyone to hear, and regardless if he is my superior, it’s unprofessional for him to make public all my unsolved cases like what he did yesterday. Not to mention how badly he’s handling the case with my guardian. Do you really think my feelings weren’t justified?”

“Your feelings are valid, of that I have no question about. But it was your attitude that led you to attack him in front of all the coworkers, sweet Mew. Even if he caused you to get angry, that’s still not an excuse to lash out with violence at him.” The blastoise remained unfazed by Redley’s words.

“Not an excuse? How else was he supposed to shut up?” The gallade was offended beyond his own comprehensible degree: why did _no one_ understand him?

“Redley.” Dr. Peyton’s tone was disapproving. Upon hearing this, the gallade forced his feelings of aggression to an abrupt standstill, taking a deep breath and exhaling rather unevenly.

“Redley, you’re one of our best assets here at Exploration Federation, if not, our _best_ asset. You have such an immense record with catching criminals at an unprecedented vigor over the rest of the bounty hunters we’ve ever had! But your pattern of behavior as of late is unsettling. You can be better! You can _do_ better! And I believe in it! This is why I’m trying to save your ass from getting fired. I’m trying to cover for you by giving excuses, some of which my colleagues know fully well are pathetic. Without a doubt, Deputy Olind was unprofessional yesterday, but your unprofessionalism has been showing through for a solid couple of weeks now. The entire board of trustees here are more convinced you’re the aggressor, and not Deputy Olind.”

“Listen!” The gallade was on the verge of snarling through his teeth, his hands gripped together into fists as his arms tightened. “I’m sick and tired of everything that’s happened! I don’t want to cause any more trouble for anyone, I’m _trying_ to not cause any more trouble. I know my work has been poor and inadequate. I tried becoming a one-man exploration team but Guildmaster Wigglytuff wouldn’t allow for it, even though everyone else I had asked permission for, including you, accepted my request to do so. I feel insufficient about myself, I’m not satisfied with just being a bounty hunter, and that’s why I tried for the career change—and I know this isn’t doing anyone here any good. I want to keep trying, I really _do_ , but I have doubts with everything about myself in my life now!”

Dr. Peyton was quiet, registering Redley’s words into his thoughts. The blastoise’s expression made it known to the gallade that he was sincerely deliberating his points made. 

“Tch,” the gallade spat out after the silence. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll just resign myself before it gets any worse. I find it frankly difficult to have any motivation for anything these days. I’m losing myself, my place in my surroundings. Ever since that day he went missing… I don’t know who I’m _supposed_ to be anymore." 

“You already know we’re all trying to help you. There are several of us who care; we understand your delicate circumstance. Surely, you know that.” The blastoise’s voice was gentle, untroubled, and for the first time, Redley felt, of all the pokémon he had gotten into arguments with recently, the feeling of genuine respect and concern softened his hostility. Dr. Peyton was the least patronizing of all pokémon he had talked to…!

“I _do_ know that,” the gallade said sourly, looking away from the Dr. Peyton’s eyes.

“Do you want to take a break from work?”

“No. I mean. No. Forget it. Forget this all happened. I’m sorry that all of this happened. It won’t happen again.” The gallade was exasperated, feeling weary of his situation. He knew he was losing his capacity to articulate with clarity his feelings on the matter. “I can even apologize to Deputy Olind. I can come in to the next meeting with the board of trustees if that helps. Anything that needs to be done, I can make up for.”

Dr. Peyton studied his best bounty hunter of the Exploration Federation kindly, searching for any more feelings readable in the gallade’s current state of mood. Redley had given in, and in his moment of defeat, he was purely fatigued from the incessant emotional drilling that must have burrowed through depths he didn’t think as psychologically possible.

Very benignly, with a sensitivity that reminded Redley of a warmth lost long ago, Dr. Peyton put a hand to Redley’s shoulder. “Take the day off today, Redley. You need it. Don’t worry about the other things here. I’ll personally take care of it.”

The gallade merely met the blastoise’s eyes. He could have perhaps wept, but instead, he spoke with a tranquility that he found was thoroughly relieving. “Thank you, Doctor.”

* * *

 “Oh, Redley!” The secretary from the front desk at the foyer had called to the gallade, noticing his back just before he had opened the door to leave. “Detective Dagin wants to see you.” 

 _Dagin? Of all pokémon?_ “What?” Redley turned back around facing a togetic, his face reading bewilderment.

“Yes, well, you see. He wanted to talk to you a few minutes ago, but I told him you were unavailable, talking with Dr. Peyton. He said to tell you to meet him at the Treasure Town Clinic whenever you were finished as soon as possible.”

“The Clinic…?”

“Well, technically, this is confidential, but…” The secretary lowered her voice, scanning her head around left and right to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “He was called this morning on the arrival of a mysterious—”

 _Genevra!_ He had forgotten all about her!

At once, the gallade, without fully listening to another word from the secretary (he had vaguely heard her complaint of being ignored, but it did not register enough for the gallade to care), bolted away from the Exploration Federation Headquarters. The speed at which Redley ran perplexed himself: was he running this quickly because he had no desire to be near the headquarters for the rest of the day? Or was it his urgent hope for the gardevoir’s wellbeing and good health? Then again, as it had just returned to mind as he exited the building, he also had an issue with Wilben and Gare—what if Genevra offhandedly mentioned her battle with them to Dagin? He would be in an even bigger mess than he needed and wanted to be—he gave a quick prayer that the gardevoir hadn’t revealed anything sensitive about that incident.

In any case, pedestrians and passersby were interrupted of their regular flow of quotidian activities when Redley hurried along the streets of Treasure Town to the Clinic. The gallade nearly bumped into a paperboy along an intersecting road, to which he yelled a brisk apology for the unforeseen scare, whilst several roadside vendors—from those selling dainty trinkets to those selling flavorful street foods—were not especially happy at the threat of their precious merchandise almost having been knocked over to the ground.

But without doubt, and without Redley’s conscious understanding, it was the first in a long time the gallade had any vitality in his actions. Yes, indeed, the town hadn’t seen the gallade _this_ motivated to get somewhere, let alone to get to someone.


	3. Simplicity is Never Just Simplicity

“I was contacted by the clinic here that I’m supposed to investigate the strange and unexpected arrival of this gardevoir.” Detective Dagin’s voice was clipped, with a hint of his signature haughty lilt that cadenced the ends of his frequently lengthy sentences.

Redley sighed while shaking his head, sorting out the mess of facts which felt as though they had been thrown at his face without warning. The gallade had burst into the clinic, and expecting to see Lina, he found another clerk at the front desk instead, one who had not the slightest idea she was to contact Bounty Hunter Redley himself about Genevra rather than asking for a random, on-duty investigator (who happened to be Detective Dagin) from the Exploration Federation Department. Thus began one of many problems at the clinic: Redley was in charge of handling the situation with Genevra, and not Dagin, as the clerk was regrettably ignorant of. And Dagin was insistent, right from the start, that he oversee the case, but the gallade found it difficult to persuade him otherwise.

As of now, Redley and Dagin were standing in a hallway of the patients’ wing, separate from the clinic lobby, holding a conversation with quiet voices so as not to disturb others. Genevra’s room was not far from where they stood, but it did not allow enough distance for the gardevoir to possibly overhear their conversation.

“But you know what I found strange, Redley? The gardevoir would not speak to me about anything, and refused, adamantly I should add, to talk about anything unless she talked to you first. More specifically, she wanted to talk with you alone.” Detective Dagin was a blaziken who dressed himself chicly without fail; daily, he sported himself with a dapper-looking chapeau from his predictably substantial collection of chapeaus, though he donned the occasional bowtie, reinforcing his gentlemanly image. As a result, a great number of females consistently pined after him, admiring him from a distance, which he took with considerable pride. Today, however, he wore a black felt fedora with a grosgrain band, a large crimson plume feather tucked in between the band and the felt.

“And so I went back to Exploration Federation HQ, expecting to find you, but you were busy with Dr. Peyton so I figured it was better to leave you a message at the front desk. Glad to see you got it! The uncooperative gardevoir still won’t yield to any of my questions even after I come here a second time from the HQ. She keeps giving replies of demanding to see you first before even allowing to talk about any other matter, including her puzzling and time-sensitive arrival here. And not just to me, but to others as well! The nurse on duty remarked to me how not conversational of a patient she is.”

Inwardly, Redley sighed. Knowing this, he felt at peace that the gardevoir had not revealed any sensitive information not just to Dagin, but to anyone. Outwardly, he gave no indication that he was relieved at having a potential problem blocked. The gallade simply nodded along in comprehension of the detective’s words.

“And you know what else? All seriousness of the matter aside, I’m a tad bit insulted that my charms didn’t work on her!” Dagin huffed, his arms crossed against his chest. He had expected his glamour to have its sensational and alluring effect on Genevra, though it was obvious his attempts at flirting with her were unsuccessful. “At the very least, had my charms worked, she would have given me some pertinent information about her circumstance.”

Simultaneously, Redley wanted to laugh and punch the blaziken: he thought it entirely amusing that Dagin would make an effort in courting her—something he hardly did because he ceaselessly played the uninterested, detached male. Moreover, though the gallade could not speak fully for the gardevoir, he was sure Genevra, based on their interactions the day before, was not the kind to be so easily beguiled by an advancing male—her stubborn character was sure evidence of that. And then there was the issue with Redley wanting to punch the blaziken: what on earth warranted Dagin the liberty to flirt with a patient who was in the process of recovering? Surely, that was unprofessional as a detective at work—yet a tiny but irritating voice inside Redley noted mockingly of his own unprofessionalism at work. The gallade knew he couldn’t denounce Dagin of this: it would be a moot point. The detective was a coworker, and like all his other coworkers, it was not hard to believe that Dagin had knowledge of Redley’s matter with their superiors. He also did not want to risk experiencing another judgmental tirade when he had had enough of that for one day.

So Redley merely snorted, suppressing his urge to laugh and said as seriously as he could, “Well, if you want to know what I think, I think you’re underestimating her. I don’t think she appreciates your attempts at attracting her.”

“You sound as if you know her rather well with that kind of assumption.” Dagin sounded intrigued, eyes narrowing to the gallade, wondering how he had the authority to say that statement.

The gallade looked at the blaziken, putting his hands up in the air, a harmless gesture that proved he had nothing to hide. “I met her just yesterday, so while I don’t know her too well, I’m convinced I know her well enough to say certain things. That I’m sure of.”

Dagin looked doubtful, but realizing that proceeding further into the matter would serve no use, he let it drop. “Alright, then. But do be aware that this case is going to head straight to the administrators at headquarters. You may have been the primary contact listed on the documents filled out last night, but it was this morning’s clerk’s responsibility for having called me, so I am also now involved in the case. Remember that you’re a bounty hunter, and that I’m a detective. Our professions are meant to be different, so you cannot take this case on as your own.”

The blaziken believed it was unquestionable that he had to have the last word, but to Redley, he was more inclined to think it was as if Dagin had to boast his given power onto the situation, which left the gallade with a rather embittered taste in his mouth. The act resembled arrogance, and Redley found it irksome he couldn’t find any flaw with Dagin’s line of reasoning to point out as a counterattack. All he could to weaken the blaziken’s statement was to present a possible hypothesis.

“Dagin, if Genevra prefers not to have this case opened, then you can’t keep hounding on it.”

The detective raised his eyes, narrowing his stare to the gallade’s as he said, “We’ll see about that. We also must have a medical expertise available to us as soon as possible to determine whether the gardevoir is sufficiently able to judge her own health for herself. Don’t forget that when this continues, I’ll have to interview you too on the matter as you’re connected to the gardevoir. This case won’t be closed so easily.”

With that, Dagin took his leave, strutting out of the hallway to the clinic entrance. Redley watched him leave, feeling somewhat hollow after his conversation with the blaziken. It occurred to the gallade now that Dagin continuously referred to Genevra as “the gardevoir”; the formality of it gave Redley the impression he was ultimately aloof and cool on the matter, regardless if he had made romantic advances on her, and for a moment, he wondered at the boding likelihood of Dagin being the official detective for Genevra’s case. There was something fairly unsettling at this thought, and the gallade felt his spine tingle in anxiety from it.

Thankfully, just in time, the gallade was reminded that Genevra was waiting for him. Shaking off his thoughts, Redley turned around and walked in the direction of the gardevoir’s room, opposite of the direction Dagin had left.

* * *

Genevra had her arms folded across her chest as she sat on her bed, pillows propped up against her back in support allowing her to rest. Her eyes looked outward to the morning scenery beyond the window, though she felt more as though she were stiffly staring at nothing in particular. The gardevoir had remained tense for some time now, for she was uncompromising in her answers throughout the earlier interrogation with the blaziken named Detective Dagin, who, by the way, she thought, was highly pompous and flamboyant in his presentation of himself. It made sense given that he was a male fowl, and it was supposable that any male of a bird species had a habit of behaving extravagantly, especially in the vicinity of potentially available females. 

Nonetheless, even after the detective had left, the stress was evident on Genevra’s face—she felt her own face tightening in disgruntlement, especially when facing the prospect of having her very existence known to more individuals in this town. The detective having knowledge of her circumstance was troubling to her, for who knew what a stranger like him would do next? Redley having briefly met her alone was enough—why couldn’t she be left alone in peace? She didn’t need more pokémon to know about her! This was all that gallade’s fault for bringing her here!

When Genevra heard the doorknob click to her right, she turned her head, wary of who was to come in. She eased slightly when she recognized the familiar figure that was Redley, and just as conveniently, vexation for the gallade spiked inside her. Her gaze was hard as she met the gallade’s eyes, studying him.

Redley closed the door behind him, to which followed an audible silence filled the air almost loudly. Then:

“Well, I can see you were determined not to do as I asked,” Genevra began with a sharply sardonic tone.

Redley smiled wryly, and said in a tone that matched hers, “So this is the thanks I get for helping rescue you.”

“I didn’t need any rescuing to begin with, thank you very much.”

“Didn’t need any?” The gallade chuckled, arms crossed across his chest as he leaned himself against the wall opposite of Genevra. “You’re funny. Did you think I’d leave you there so that vultures would come and feed on you?”

Naturally, the gardevoir was offended at his laughter. “I’m not dead, for the record. I’m pretty sure that vultures would be able to sense whether my body is a carcass or not. And even if they did come, I’d be capable of waking up and fending them off myself.”

Redley took a moment to register Genevra’s words in surprise. The gardevoir was truly persistent. “Right, as if you’re in any condition to fight.”

“Yes.” Genevra wasn’t being taken seriously, and she knew this well. “I would be in a condition to fight, because I helped you battle your little thieves earlier. Why wouldn’t I be capable?”

“I think you lucked out on that one. Now that I think about it, you even being able to help me battle yesterday must have been pure chance.”

Genevra gave an unladylike snort in response, turning her head away in disbelief. Redley sighed, seeing that the gardevoir was not going to budge her feelings even remotely.

“Listen, after we had gotten back to the beach, you fainted, alright? You collapsed, and nobody in their right mind would’ve just left you there out in the open like that. Even if I had left you there, someone else would’ve discovered you, and they would have been just as concerned as I’d been.”

The gallade paused, watching for any subtle signs of change within her. There was none. Exasperated by no response on her part, he pressed onward, determined to make her see his explanation.

“Moreover, if I had left you there, and you’d woken up, what guarantee is there that you’d know where you’re going? There’s no way to tell what will happen in a condition as unpredictable and precarious as yours. You could regain your memory any day, or you could walk around with amnesia for the next couple of years, but regardless of whatever it is you’re in poor condition to be wandering alone outside by yourself where any wild pokémon could attack you at any moment. You aren’t even in good physical shape!” Redley threw in the last sentence for good measure, keenly aware now of how skinny Genevra physically was. He wondered very briefly if she suffered malnutrition from a sort, but it was a short-lived thought—more of her health concerns were psychological and not physical, and the gallade was convinced of this.

Silence hung in the air between the two pokémon again, Redley expectant of Genevra to give a reply. At last, Genevra released a sigh of defeat, and said, “All I want is to get out of here. The nurse earlier said that the expert is out of town and won’t be coming back for a few days. I don’t have time to sit around and wait, because I’m better off trying to find my identity alone, not with the help of others. And you know what else?” Here, the gardevoir turned to Redley, looking squarely in his eyes. “I also don’t want that pretentious excuse of a detective to be in charge of this so-called case he declares he’s opened up. In fact, I don’t even want this to be a case!”

The gallade wasn’t sure of how to respond at first, giving himself a pause before speaking. He could understand her concern with Dagin, but what she mentioned in the beginning perturbed him. “… Do you think it’s safe to say that? That you want to leave this place and find your identity alone?”

“No, it isn’t.” Genevra’s answer was unexpectedly prompt and confident. “But it isn’t safe merely sitting here and waiting either. I stand by my position yesterday. And you know what else? Even if there are others who know of me now, all I can do is let that be as it happened. I can’t change it, unfortunately, but I can prevent others from finding out about me.”

Genevra sighed, closing her eyes and putting her fingers to her forehead, intending to alleviate the pressure which rushed through her head. “And yes, I also know it’s baseless, that I don’t have a solid reason why I should not reject help. I’m aware I sound crazy and paranoid but… I just know… I have to keep that alive, that I have to make myself as little known as possible.”

The gallade was attentive in listening to the gardevoir, and multiple thoughts of possibilities sparked within his head in response to her words. It was possible to have the gardevoir discharged, given that the doctors here would allow for it, and it was also possible to have Dagin drop the case… That was, if the blaziken hadn’t already reported it to the higher-ups. Were the detective to hold the case, it would require a considerable amount of persuasion on Redley’s part for the administrators at HQ to force Dagin to suspend it—and that was something the gallade didn’t know if he could do. Perhaps if he had a better relationship with his administrators, they would be in favor of Redley’s request. Alternatively, Redley could sneak in the request to Dr. Peyton, but the director had done far too many favors for the gallade, and Redley knew he couldn’t gamble with asking for more.

“Listen,” Redley started tentatively, “I don’t think it’d kill you if you waited one more day here. I can try to persuade Dagin to drop the case—we’re coworkers anyway. I can’t promise that he’ll drop it, though. Besides, the clinic here takes good care of its patients. Information about patients stay private, so you won’t have to worry about others snooping around for you, if you’re inclined to think that.”

The gardevoir remained taut, not having showed any sign of moving. She did, however, pay attention to the gallade’s words.

“I suppose _one_ more day would be bearable enough,” Genevra admitted, but it was clear she didn’t like to submit to these words as she spoke them. Then her voice became softer as she continued, “Maybe I must’ve been physically neglecting myself, but that doesn’t mean…”

A click of the doorknob was heard, and before either Redley or Genevra could say anything else, a leavanny in a white lab coat walked in, a clipboard in hand and a pencil folded in between his head and the broad leaf which fanned out behind, the equivalent of someone tucking a pencil behind their ear. Like the other staff at the clinic, he had an amiable presence, and was heard to be humming a cheerful melody to himself until he looked in the room, finding not one but two pokémon inside.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The leavanny apologized, his voice a gentle tenor. He briskly stepped back from the room, saying, “Am I interrupting something?”

Redley and Genevra briefly met each other’s eyes, both hesitant in the moment as who was to speak.

“Um,” Genevra started, her brain floundering to find the words. “ No, no! You’re fine.”

“Are you sure?” The leavanny was candid in asking his question, wanting to be as courteous as he needed to be. “I’m only here just to talk with Genevra for some quick questioning, but I can come back in a few minutes if you’d like.”

“Actually,” Redley cut in this time, seizing the opportunity that abruptly came to him, “there is a matter that I have to take care of shortly, so if you need to speak with Genevra alone, I can leave now for you to do so.”

“Wha—” Genevra began to protest, but her voice did not project loudly enough for the leavanny to hear.

“Of course!” The leavanny smiled, eyes crinkling pleasantly. “It’ll only take a few minutes. You’re welcome to come back any time. I assume you’re Redley, the contact listed on our documents for Genevra?”

The gallade nodded hurriedly, and then, looking back at Genevra said, “I’ll be right back, I just remembered something that might help. Stay here, okay?”

The gardevoir shot Redley a perplexed look; it wasn’t helpful he hadn’t told her a word of what was going on in his mind! Just as she was going to speak up, the gallade had left the room with a final close of the door, and Genevra was left alone with the leavanny.

“So, I’m Dr. Macrea,” the leavanny introduced himself kindly, turning to the gardevoir, “I know from earlier that I was told you were busy with others, but it’s necessary that I speak with you about the condition you were in…”

* * *

The conversation with leavanny turned out not to be as unwelcome as Genevra anticipated—he wasn’t as overbearing as the nurse chansey or the detective blaziken in checking and questioning her health status. It was, as he promised, quick, and understanding that Genevra was unentertained and presumably fed up with having to stay in the same room for a number of hours now, he offered her to visit the solarium closely down the hallway. (The solarium, Dr. Macrea had described, with its glass dome as a roof permitting sunlight indoors, would alleviate Genevra’s state of mind, given that he could tell she was perturbed the hours earlier.) The gardevoir objected to the idea at first until she thought again, caving into the idea of a room full of sunlight instead of her assigned patient’s room. Redley would come back sooner or later, as he’d said, and passing the time in the solarium was preferable than staying confined in her room.

(Truth be told, she wasn’t sure how much she could rely on the gallade—though there she held the expectation he’d return, the gardevoir didn’t have her complete trust in the gallade for any given matter. Redley was still, ultimately, a stranger to her. In the end, what did he truly mean to her, even if he offered his sincere assistance?)

The gardevoir found she was steadying herself as she removed herself from the bed; she had been sitting on it for the entire morning she’d been awake, and her body stretched sorely at having been inactive for an extended time. Nodding thanks to the leavanny, who gave her his word he’d leave her alone now, she left the room after the doctor had, reciting to herself the directions leavanny gave to the solarium.

Genevra was silent in making her way to the solarium, avoiding glances of curiosity from other pokémon in the hallway. She had no desire to interact with others, and remained stalwart in this certainty. And soon enough, the gardevoir found the solarium. However, she was surprised to find that she was the only one entering the room. At least, that was what appeared to be so at first; as she stood at the entrance, she saw a pokémon bouncing in a far corner, unusually lethargic in its motion, as though its bounces defied gravity. For a moment, Genevra couldn’t identify which pokémon it was, but upon closer scrutiny, she recognized it was a spoink, sans the pearl one accustomed the spoink species with. It wasn’t easily perceptible, but Genevra’s ears were sharp enough to hear the whimpers coming from the spoink’s direction. The gardevoir stood there, careful and unsure of what to make of the spoink.

“Ah! There you are, Mr. Padget!” Dr. Macrea rushed through the door, unintentionally pushing Genevra aside. The gardevoir’s eyes jolted open in surprise, her body squeezed to the side, her hand gripping the edge of the doorframe as the leavanny scurried to the spoink at the corner.

The spoink was unresponsive to the leavanny, only having weakly turned around. If he recognized the doctor who was now standing before him, he displayed no sign of knowing it.

“You had us all worried for a moment, leaving your room suddenly like that!” Dr. Macrea bent over to the spoink, eyes leveling his. The leavanny made a gesture with his arms as though to lead him out of the solarium, one arm encased around the spoink’s back, the other held out to lead the way.

Genevra blinked, puzzled over the occurrence. She had the feeling that listening in on their matter wasn’t exactly a respectable thing to do, but the gardevoir was drawn in nonetheless.

“… My _pearl_ ,” the spoink complained after a constrained silence, his voice thin, as if running out of air to breathe. Next, it dropped to a harsh whisper: “They _stole_ my precious pearl last night!”

“We’re aware! The incident has been reported, and I’ve already written up a request for someone to find it for you first thing this morning!” Dr. Macrea affirmed the spoink’s words, but they didn’t seem to satisfy the spoink himself. “Let’s hurry back to your room now, shall we?”

“Drenched Bluff!” the spoink named Mr. Padget wailed; it was as though he were on the verge of going mad, if not already so. “I was only taking a stroll close to Drenched Bluff! How dare they…!”

“Of course,” Dr. Macrea agreed, nodding his head along while gently pushing him to the direction of the solarium entrance. “It was those bad-mannered thugs who had decided to steal it, as you said. Hopefully an exploration team will pick it up over there right away!”

Instantaneously, an idea glinted in Genevra’s thoughts: it was a bold course of action, requiring measures which the gardevoir accepted she was unsure of taking on, but it presented itself as a viable alternative, a possible ticket out of this space which she felt so captive to…!

“Dr. Macrea,” Genevra addressed the leavanny, to which the pokémon looked over his shoulder back to the gardevoir. “Is Drenched Bluff nearby?”

“Yes, it’s the first stop along the crossroads—” The doctor broke off his sentence, catching on to the gardevoir’s intent, and a look of sheer astonishment grew on his face. “What, you can’t be thinking of going there—”

But the doctor did not get to finish the last of his statement, and without any further explanation, Genevra had run away. The gardevoir had not the faintest idea of how to exit the building, but perhaps imprudently she relied on her intuition as a compass, continuously hastening along the hallways, hoping for an end. She gave no word of apology to those she had bumped into, taking no notice of others exclaiming complaints and yelps of surprise. Genevra did not know what impulse drove her to act with such bizarre vivacity, but the freedom of what was to come… that was surely better than being kept in a building all day!

* * *

Redley had apparently gotten the idea to return to the beach below Treasure Town, specifically to the location he had found Genevra the afternoon before. It crossed the gallade’s mind that maybe, just maybe, something else had washed up along the beach a few hours after or before Genevra—an item or possession of Genevra’s to possibly indicate a clue or insight regarding Genevra’s identity. Though the beach below was often vacant, it was not uncommon for the ocean tides to deposit a wide assortment of artifacts along the shore, habitually cleansing itself of pokémon-made objects from its waters. If there was something, anything, really, the hint would consequently prove to be worthwhile.

Alas, when the gallade returned to the beach in broad daylight, with not a single soul to be seen in sight, there was no item which could be immediately spotted to the naked eye. In an effort to lessen what looked to be a futile attempt, Redley trudged around the beach prodding through drifts of sand with his feet, sometimes bending down to use his hands if he thought necessary. Eventually, the gallade unearthed nothing, and feeling frustration swelling inside him, he resorted to sitting down on a rock, elbows rested on his knees and chin resting upon his hands, irked at the lack of success.

It was likely, the gallade pondered, that he could come back at a later time to check if anything new had washed up, as the mighty ocean was perpetually unpredictable in delivering objects swimming along its tides, sometimes delivering them in an untimely manner. Or more worriedly, anything Genevra carried on her person previously could have washed up along another shore a long distance away from Treasure Town—it would be too much of an endeavor to scour through long-stretching coastlines all along the continent. Worst case scenario, anything she could’ve possessed was trapped for an immeasurable amount of time in the deep blue depths of the ocean, giving virtually no chance of recovering it.

 _Well, so much for that…_ The gallade was disappointed, his eyes casted downward to the sand. Redley could not help but try to think of another alternative to helping find Genevra’s identity, yet no fresh ideas came, as though his wellspring of thought had drained up. How he so wanted not to feel so helpless…!

Redley stood up, his arms and legs extending out as far as his muscles could allow them. Breathing in the brine of the ocean, the tang momentarily coursed through his respiration, his mouth nearly tasting the distinctly salty air. There was only one thing he could do now, and that was to return to Genevra: he’d have to inform her of his failed efforts in combing through the beach sands for any potential item of hers. The gallade turned himself to the direction of the weathered stairs, feeling a cool ocean breeze soothe his skin from the amplifying heat of the sunlight.

As the gallade walked up the weathered stairs to the crossroads of Treasure Town, his ears picked up a faint cry of his name. Sensing that it had come from his left, the path which lead to Treasure Town, he shifted his head to discern the individual who had called out to him. In no time, Redley identified the outline of a pokémon he had seen earlier this morning dashing straight to him: Dagin, panting heavily in between frantic breaths, and holding onto his gaudy hat with one hand to prevent its falling to the ground. His expression made known he was not at his most jovial of all moments, and it worsened when he saw Redley within a close couple of meters away. For a split second, the blaziken’s look was one of pure shock at having found the gallade faster than expected, and no later than a flustered heartbeat, Dagin appeared as though he was ready to incinerate the gallade with a Flamethrower.

“I hope you think the matter isn’t amusing, because I do not find this entertaining at all!” Dagin clamored, fur on his body standing out as he marched towards Redley.

The gallade blinked, oblivious to Dagin’s words. “What?”

Dagin stomped once on the floor, doing his best to control his anger from bursting any further. “Don’t you ‘ _what?’_ me! She’s escaped! She’s gone!”

Redley took a solid three seconds to comprehend what the blaziken was possibly speaking of, and soon enough, the only pokémon Dagin referred to that they mutually knew suggested herself: Genevra—but she was gone?

“Genevra?” Redley was dumbfounded. “Gone?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what it means!” Dagin growled, and thrusting his beak closer to the gallade, Redley felt himself drawing back slightly, not wanting to have his own face pecked. “She broke out of the clinic only a half hour before I found out and came running to search for you—surely you had at least anticipated that from her behavior this morning!”

 _He assumed I’d know that she’d run off?!_ The gallade made a face of bewilderment. _What?_

“There was nothing to be worried about!” Redley defended himself, crossing his arms now. “I told her to wait there, because I was going to check on something and come back. What—How—How did this even happen?”

“Dr. Macrea informed me that he believes Genevra is on her way to Drenched Bluff to retrieve another patient’s pearl! She happened to overhear a conversation regarding such,” Dagin said irritably, and his voice quivered with his next words, “and she _dares_ run away when she’s under investigation! Right when I have plenty of other duties that need to be taken care of today! And now I must chase after her! Do you see the predicament she has caused?!”

“ _You_ must chase after her?” Redley blurted out, eyes widening in incredulity.

“This is _my_ case, after all. And now I have to hurry to catch her before this day ends, _great_ _Dialga!_ ” The blaziken said this as a matter of fact, and he was losing his patience. “After I bring her back, both you and she will be at HQ with a lot of explanations needed!”

There was a pregnant pause, Redley merely looking at Dagin. Before he knew it, the gallade could not stifle himself of what was to come, and next thing he felt was laughter erupting from inside him.

“Sometimes, Dagin, I sincerely wonder—” Redley willed himself to stop laughing. “I sincerely wonder if you hear yourself at times.”

“ _What?_ ”

“Yes, it’s your case, no changing that now, I guess.” The gallade shook his head, releasing the last bits of his laughter. “But like you said earlier, you’re a detective, and I’m a bounty hunter, and so our professions are meant to be different. Therefore, it is _my_ job to find pokémon and bring them back, not yours. Though, if you ask me, unlike the others I had to chase, Genevra is no fugitive at all.”

Dagin was left dumbstruck at Redley’s words, his mouth having dropped open in what felt like a rude awakening. Redley smiled quite smugly, almost unable to be convinced that he had decisively and victoriously outshined Dagin in a sparring match of speech. The gallade threw back the blaziken’s words from earlier right into his mouth—How he loved the sensation of giving Dagin a taste of his own medicine!

“Well now, I think _I_ have a job to do and _you_ have other errands you need to complete. I expect that I’ll see you later today!” With that, the gallade immediately turned himself the opposite direction of Treasure Town, and without giving a single glance back, he bolted off down the path, knowing his next destination: Drenched Bluff. 

Yet his thoughts thrummed within his mind as he ran, astonished at the sudden twist of events. Genevra? Running off alone to Drenched Bluff? For what good reason did she have to do that? Retrieving a patient’s _pearl_ …? It struck Redley as a superficial reason to run away from the clinic, but as he knew, the answers to his questions would have to wait. There had better been a good reason for this, the gallade thought, or else the gardevoir would be in deeper trouble than she was already in. The turn of events was inexplicably amusing, but the repercussions of what could come was just the opposite of amusing.

* * *

It had been trickier than Genevra presumed it would be to leave Treasure Town. The roads and streets of the town weaved around and about various buildings and locations, and if one was not careful, one might find themselves going around in circles; stores and establishments happened to look so identical to one another that it might as well have transformed the town into a labyrinth. Thankfully, numerous street signs were placed all throughout, and it was enough for the gardevoir, with her quick eyes, to find the directions to the crossroads. She had not stopped running whatsoever until she reached further into the route opposite of Treasure Town’s Main Street, far beyond the crossroads, and after inhaling a large breath of air, she had discovered herself closer to Drenched Bluff than predicted. 

Standing at the spacious entrance of Drenched Bluff, where a worn wooden sign to the left announced the name of the location in chipped-away black paint, the gardevoir observed her surroundings, symmetrical in its appearance. Looking upwards, there were two steep bluffs parallel to each other while two freshwater rivulets bordered along the single dirt path on both sides, which Genevra surmised eventually led to the beach below. The gardevoir could peer far into the perspective at the center, and for a moment, she wondered just how far exactly she needed to venture in order to find Mr. Padget’s pearl.

Genevra examined the wooden sign once more. Underneath the words _Drenched Bluff_ was a fresher coat of red paint mentioning a warning: _Beware of Predators!_ As the gardevoir stood there reading the words of caution, she could not help but feel a strange intimidation creep into her. Genevra shuddered as a result, closing her eyes quickly to find the courage within herself to move forward. She had come this far now, and she could not afford to go back emptyhanded—if she did, she could end up as a laughingstock.

 _Well, not that_ that _matters anyhow… I’m here to rescue a pearl for a patient whose health is at risk…_ the gardevoir thought, and then, finally realizing the responsibility she had just placed herself into, she groaned aloud to herself, her face in her hands, “What have I done?”

Just then, Genevra heard a brief scuttle from behind her: several taps had clicked against the ground. Swiftly turning her head back to identify what made the noise, the gardevoir found herself looking at a chain of boulders near the rivulet to her left, some of which loomed over her. She saw that everything had recognized earlier remained the same: not a single object was out of place.

_Could it be that I just imagined it?_

Genevra shook her head, clearing her thoughts to focus on her next task. Delaying the retrieval of Mr. Padget’s pearl wouldn’t do any good, and with this in her mind, the gardevoir compelled herself to walk forward, determined to move onward.

* * *

While Genevra was admittedly not in the best of physical health, as manifested by her periodically pounding headaches, she faked her intimidation well enough to wild pokémon challenging her with a snarl. In fact, she had done so well enough that other challengers who had seen her strength defeating pokémon thought the better of it to not interfere with the intruder in their territory, granting her their permission to walk further inward. 

In the meantime, the gardevoir had travelled significantly enough to the point where the high-rising bluffs parallel to each other narrowed further into each other instead, giving visible shape to the letter _V_. The environment became much darker than it had been at the entrance, as the cliffs of Drenched Bluff were higher and more dominating, only allowing slender sunbeams to shed nimble light into the ravine. Boulders lining along the bluffs became smaller, and their numbers noticeably decreased. The dirt path also shrank in tandem with the narrowing bluffs, its texture becoming more sandy than rocky. As such, the two side rivulets bordering alongside the path expanded in width, both of which eventually conjoined at a short waterfall, the single source of the flowing water. And at the very far end, as far as Genevra could see with her naked eye, she glimpsed a shimmering rose gold orb nestled among huddles of stones, all of which lay before the trickling waterfall.

 _I found the pearl_ , Genevra thought. _That wasn’t too bad!_

Genevra trekked further in, reaching closer and closer to the pearl. Yet she could not help but be reminded of a cautious voice within her: _Didn’t Dr. Macrea mention something about thugs…?_ The gardevoir slightly slowed her walking pace, becoming more uneasy. Why did she get the suspicion that this was something like a trap? Perhaps the pearl was stolen for that purpose? After all, with the way the pearl was positioned so far from the entrance, it appeared to have been placed deliberately there by some pokémon…

Behind Genevra, a delirious voice abruptly cackled. “What a fool you are!”

The gardevoir turned around with a jump, raising her right arm to prepare a move. She said nothing, waiting for the pokémon to reveal itself.

“Tsk, tsk, unfortunate for you…” The pokémon accompanying the voice slowly crawled out from behind a large boulder to Genevra’s right: the creature was just about the gardevoir’s height, if not, only inches taller, its main body shaded sea-green. Several rings of yellow were imprinted on its long neck, its bulging head, and its chest which touched the ground. It slithered on its four stubs as its feet, acid yellow eyes peering from underneath its crescent hood staring fixedly on its new prey. Eight pink tentacles flowered from behind the pokémon’s head, outstretched and ready to secrete digestive fluids. 

“You’re _bony_ ,” the cradily continued, almost in complaint, “yet I still wonder what you taste like in my mouth… Crunchy, perhaps?” 

Blobs of deeply-hued purple fluid began leaking out of the pink tentacles, making known the cradily’s readiness to savor the poor victim who visited today. Genevra felt her heartbeat pulse faster, each one growing louder in her ears. Panic surged inside the gardevoir, her mind struggling to think of the best move to attack the cradily with—for a moment, her brain refused to function properly, and she couldn’t recall any moves of defense to use. Genevra simply staggered backward further into the bluff, hoping to buy more time to prepare _something_.

“Anyway, you must be very tired from your long way here,” the cradily said with an oddly appeasing voice, sensing her prey’s anxiety.

Genevra still did not speak a word, feeling her body shake with trepidation. The dread of becoming a cradily’s prey was sending her to the verge of paralysis.

“You should rest before you go back…” the cradily continued sweetly, then, “ _in my stomach!_ ”

The cradily lunged forwards to Genevra, the _acid_ flying off the pink tentacles and across the air. By instinct, the gardevoir thrust herself to the left, collapsing into the rivulet. Cold water splashed freely over her, and she shivered from its coolness.

“Well, aren’t you fast!” The cradily laughed strangely, her long neck extending upwards to reposition her head. “Looks like I’ll need some assistance!”

An armaldo sidled out from behind a boulder to Genevra’s right, a menacing grin widening upon his face. Instantly, the gardevoir recognized the scuttling taps heard from earlier made by the armaldo’s feet, and she quickly muttered a curse under her breath, realizing she should’ve known better it was a predator the sign was warning about. As of now, Genevra was outnumbered, sandwiched between both pokémon.

“Why don’t you just stay here?” The armaldo spoke in the same delirious tone as cradily had spoken in. “We both promise to make you as comfortable as you can be while you rest… You can agree to that, right?”

Without further warning, the cradily spurted out another _acid_. Once more, Genevra was lucky enough to dodge it to the side into safety, but she was not able to breathe a sigh of relief. The gardevoir was rapidly pulled aside by her left arm from a hard claw, and the armaldo’s other available claw slashed her with an _x-scissor_ , attacking diagonally straight down her shoulder to her chest. Genevra winced in pain, grappling with the claw tightly fastened around her arm. With no opportunity to take the offensive, the gardevoir forcefully swung her clasped arm to a nearby boulder in hopes of distracting the armaldo from launching another _x-scissor_. Succeeding, a sliver of time opened for Genevra, and she used the moment to conjure a _psychic_ , aiming it directly at the armaldo’s head. The predator released a brief shriek of agony from its mental pain, its high-pitched noise piercing the gardevoir’s ears, but she would not allow herself to be sidetracked. She tore herself free of the armaldo’s grasp at last, and intending to buy more time for herself, she ran further into the narrowing space of Drenched Bluff. Only after she had gotten closer into the area did she become aware of her senseless tactic.

 _Bad move!_ Genevra clearly couldn’t think straight in this battle. _Even if I get the pearl I can’t get out!_

The gardevoir closed her eyes for only a second, her brain scrambling to find one more move in her repertoire that would be most effective against the gaining predators. She could use another _psychic_ , since that happened to come out as naturally as a reflex, but her body stumbled in materializing a further move. Genevra’s alarm escalated within her—surely, she knew more than one move than just _psychic_? With her current state, she didn’t even know if she was powerful enough to attack them simultaneously with just that move!

Genevra grunted, spreading out her arms as though to balance herself. There was a slight drift which had coursed through the ravine, and it was only by intuition that she extended her arms. Sparkles of light manifested with the drift’s direction, and the gardevoir, witnessing this phenomenon, became confident of herself: while she couldn’t explain it herself, surely, this was the move that could strike some damage to her opponents! Even now, she could read the looks of caution on both cradily and armaldo, as they had paused in their steps, attempting to figure out what was to come.

But the drift was meager, and swiftly, the sparkles of light vanished into the air. The confidence within Genevra ceased to exist, and now, she came to see that she was in great need of help. The predators recognized the gardevoir’s unsuccessful endeavor of a move, and they eagerly neared towards her, the cradily secreting another _acid_ attack, the armaldo snapping his claws repeatedly in preparation of using _x-scissor_ once more.

Suddenly, a brilliant movement of dark green and white streaked across Genevra’s field of vision, and trailing after was the brisk sound of a blade echoing in the air. Following this, the two predators were hurled to their backs, and being defenseless in that moment, the movement of dark green and white made itself known to Genevra. Indeed, the figure was no stranger to the gardevoir, as she understood now: there was only one pokémon she knew with his lithe body, his bladed arms, and the unmistakable silver gladiator’s helmet.

_Redley!_

The gallade centered himself in front of the cradily and armaldo, drawing out both of his arms with a long gesture. Slashes of umber smeared over both pokémon in repetition, Redley continuously assaulting the predators using _night slash_. The gallade would not allow a moment’s breath of rest, even if the screeches of physical torture from his opponents reverberated in the air. Genevra, thinking quickly on her feet, hastened to the back of the bluff, nearly tripping over herself in the process. She was aiming to seize the pearl, knowing that that was all she could do in this situation.

From Redley’s peripheral vision, he could see the gardevoir moving further back to the end of Drenched Bluff. Deciding to inspect the amount of damage he had inflicted on his opponents, he leapt backwards, providing space between him and the predators. Approved with the way the battle was going, the gallade gave slight tilt of his head backwards, attempting to see what the gardevoir was doing.

“Grab the pearl and run!” Redley shouted, and before his opponents could rise from the ground, he went on the offense, this time preparing _leaf blade_.

But Genevra had already gotten hold of the pearl, firmly clutching the item in her arms as Redley had yelled the order. Doing her best to avoid the battle, the gardevoir lurched herself into a side rivulet, water splattering over herself once again as she sprinted away with frenzied breaths. When Redley saw Genevra fleeing the battle scene, he knew the task was accomplished. He swiftly strategized an exit plan, surveying his current circumstance: the cradily had endured more than enough injury to the point where she could no longer stand up for herself. She lay knocked out to the side, head against a rock, _acid_ drooling from her tentacles, and the gallade mentally checked her off his opponents. The armaldo, however, had more stamina, having blocked more of Redley’s blade attacks in crossing his claws over his head. He had steadily paced himself backwards the entire time, though he was weakening from the gallade’s uninterrupted attacks.

Seeking to distract the armaldo, Redley at once stopped his regular chain of attacks, darting rapidly enough in time to assail a _leaf blade_ directly to the armaldo’s back. In a state of confusion, the armaldo turned around, unaware that the gallade was now behind him. With this, the opening exposed itself: Redley gave a final thrust of a _leaf blade_ , his left arm cutting across the armaldo’s underbelly, and the predator was sent momentarily airborne, his back hitting against a boulder. Satisfied, the gallade was sure this would hinder the armaldo from standing up to make one last effort at battling. Redley did not care if the armaldo had fainted—all he needed was to buy more time to flee with Genevra far enough to a safe distance, far enough so that the predators would not be bothered to pursue them.

Redley gave a backwards leap away from the end of Drenched Bluff, evaluating the situation once more before turning around. He could make out the distant figure of Genevra still sprinting away, and she didn’t look as though she’d stop anytime soon.

Inhaling a single breath to ready himself, Redley started his chase after the gardevoir.

* * *

They had fled quite some lengths away beyond the entrance of Drenched Bluff, Genevra leading the way as Redley followed her. The gardevoir had had enough of running, so she slowed herself to the side of the path, taking refuge in the shade of a tall tree. Genevra leaned her back against the trunk, and breathing hard for fresh air, she allowed herself to sink down, her knees crippling under her body weight. The gardevoir still latched onto the pearl, however, refusing to loosen her grip on the it. 

Redley joined soon after, and like Genevra, he was just as weary of having ran for a prolonged time. Before anything else, the gallade tossed off his messenger bag to the grass, relieving him of the load he had carried since this morning. He, too, went under the shade of a tree close to Genevra, leaning his arm against the trunk, steadying himself as he tried to even out his breaths. Redley felt his body swerve shortly before gaining solid footing against the soft ground, the adrenaline whirling throughout inside him. With the blood pumping around his skull, he faced Genevra and asked, “Are you alright?”

Genevra took a couple of pants before muttering as an answer, “I think I’m fine.”

Redley nodded once in comprehension, and then addressed to her his next question with perhaps more aggression than he intended. “Now can you tell me just what the hell did you think you were doing back there?” Immediately after he said the question, he knew that his exasperation, bottled up within him for the past few hours, had tumbled itself out of his mouth.

The gardevoir frowned, not at all appreciating the distinct change in his attitude. His question required an answer packed with too many explanations and implications, so Genevra said brusquely as a response, “What do _you_ think?” 

“What was so hard about staying at the clinic, where you were safe?” Redley stormed on, gesturing his arms to further show his irritation. “In less than a day, I had to save you, _twice_.” 

“Oh, what are you, my knight in shining armor? Where’d your beloved steed go, hm?” Genevra shot back. “You know I didn’t ask for you, right?

“Didn’t ask for me?” Redley gave out a short laugh before his anger seized the better of him. “Didn’t ask for me! Of course, since you didn’t ask, you might as well have been the cradily and armaldo’s dinner. I saw enough of the battle between you and them, and I truly thought for a moment that you were capable of fending them off yourself, until you failed to protect yourself.”

To this, Genevra had nothing to say to defend herself, her eyes looking down to the ground.

“You were lucky that I happened to get there on time before you became food. Dagin bumped into me as I was walking back to let you know where I’d gone, and then told me you had run off to retrieve someone’s pearl.”

Genevra groaned, rolling her eyes. Of course, the detective would be the one to find out first, and then cause the wild hunt for the gardevoir. Whoop dee doo. “Okay, yes, fine. That was my mistake on my part. I ran off without thinking.”

“More than that! You ran off without thinking of the consequences. First off, everyone around Treasure Town knows to avoid Drenched Bluff itself whenever possible. It’s pretty well known that there are carnivores living there.”

“And I don’t because I have no idea who I am or where I am, clearly,” Genevra remarked, and then lifted her head up to meet the gallade’s eyes. “Are you saying that I shouldn’t have done it at the expense of a patient’s life?”

The gallade’s eyes furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“That’s all a spoink’s life depends on, you know!” Genevra exclaimed, and indicated the pearl in her arms for emphasis.

Redley sighed with closed eyes, aggravated. “That doesn’t mean you can take on predators alone. If you’re strong enough, you take them on. If you’re not, you avoid them. There’s no excuse for an act as thoughtless as yours. This was a job for professionals like exploration teams, not yours.”

Just then, a recollection came to Genevra’s mind: Dr. Macrea in the solarium, trying his best to calm down the grieving spoink with the mention of having written a request for someone to find it, having done so first thing in the morning. Suddenly feeling totally fatigued, the gardevoir sighed and rested her head against the tree trunk, thinking to herself of all the work that didn’t need to be done on her part. Genevra listened to her heartbeat, feeling it slowing down as her body relaxed as her thoughts gathered themselves together. Of course, she had just used it as an excuse to escape the clinic, and to be able to retrieve a patient’s pearl while she was at it… well, why not? It would’ve given her time to test herself out in her unfamiliar surroundings, to see what she knew and what she didn’t know. 

After the temporary silence, the gardevoir spoke. “Yes, it was bad, and yes, maybe I did that out of sheer idiocy on my part. But to be kept in there all day… I didn’t want that. Also.” Here, Genevra looked into Redley’s eyes, saying firmly, “From the very beginning, I told you not to send me anywhere and yet you did just that.”

“So it’s all my fault that I sent you to a place of safety, isn’t it?” Redley challenged, crossing his arms. Just how much more did the gardevoir need to use this as justification?

Genevra looked down once more, shaking her head in disappointment. She was fully aware now that that was not a valid reason to throw around anymore. Nobody understood her genuine desire to remain hidden except herself, but how much more could she use it to defend herself seriously? Even she could not make sense of why she said what she said, even if they were the only clues to regaining her identity.

“You realize you’re going to have to go back.” Redley snapped her out of her thoughts.

Genevra looked back up to the gallade, and then sighed in defeat. “Yes. I do. Mr. Padget is waiting for this.”

This time, Redley sighed, though it was one of weariness. He studied Genevra intently, wondering who exactly this preposterous gardevoir was. The gallade gave an ironic chuckle before saying, “You cause a lot of trouble for one pokémon in a day.”

The gardevoir caught on, eyeing him sarcastically in return. She heaved herself up from the ground, pearl in arms, replying in turn, “Oh, I’m _so_ flattered.”

Redley had a cynical smile plastered on his face. “Dagin won’t be happy about this.”

“Oh, come on. Him again? He’s not impressive.”

Laughter escaped from Redley, one hand on his abdomen. He couldn’t contain himself.

“I’m serious.” Genevra, having not found anything she said humorous, glanced over to the gallade in question.

“Well, then, that’s a first. He’s a pretty popular pokémon around town. Females often can’t resist him.”

“Hmmm.”

Before either pokémon could speak another word, Genevra’s stomach growled, audible enough for Redley to hear. Feeling embarrassed at the unexpected occurrence, she frowned, lowering her head slightly to avoid Redley’s eyes. Yet, as if right on cue, another growl came, this time from Redley’s stomach. Hilariously enough, it was much louder than Genevra’s, and unable to help herself, the gardevoir started giggling—first it was quiet, suppressed, but it eventually melted into wholehearted laughter. Closing her eyes, she felt her entire face surrender into a merry countenance, and for the first time in what must have been the longest of times—and she knew this undoubtedly, somehow—she smiled. Redley watched her, astounded by the change of Genevra’s personality.

Looking away, the gallade bent himself down to the ground, retrieving his messenger bag. “I guess after we finish this, both you and I will need to get dinner.” 

Genevra took a breath from her laughter, and nodded in agreement. “Yes, that’s for sure.”

The gardevoir waited patiently for the gallade to prepare himself, and when he had finished, the two started their walk back to Treasure Town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 18, 2017: Just letting readers know that future chapters will contain 10,000 words per chapter, give or take, as the way I'm constructing the story is by use of several episodes and side stories. (They are all relevant to each other, however.) Chapter 3 reached over 9,000 words alone (and 20.5 MS Word pages, single-spaced), and my initial intention was to squeeze far more events into this chapter. As it happened, I ended up detailing out more than I expected and pushed the last couple of scenes to the next chapter instead. I must say, this should be good for those who love to binge on fanfics, especially if MedievalStoryShipping is a preferred shipping of theirs.
> 
> -exeridu


	4. Home, or a Place to Call Home

While Redley and Genevra entered the Main Street to Treasure Town, the sky above glowed amber along the horizon, the clear blue of the day having melded into shades of lilac and light pink. One could rightly assume the sun was setting down now, and as was customary during this time of day, a small number of lampposts began signaling the arrival of evening with their diminutive fires. The gardevoir and gallade were exhausted from the day’s events, but it was not wrong to say they felt accomplished and humbled at their achievements.

Redley was leading the way back to the clinic, Genevra following closely after him. Yet more than once, the gallade had to look briefly behind him to confirm if the gardevoir was walking alongside, as he noticed she started having the habit of trailing behind rather than walking together. He surmised that Genevra was still feeling uncomfortable with having to reveal herself in front of public spaces, and sensibly, he decided to keep that thought to himself.

And Redley was right, for Genevra kept her head down, her eyes stubbornly fixed to the pearl in her arms, reluctant to catch sight of any curious passersby in her peripheral vision. For some, the occurrence of a gallade _and_ a gardevoir walking together was, for whatever reason, intriguing. It did prompt a few to look at them not just once, but twice, so that they were sure what they were seeing was not a mistake. The ralts evolution line population in Treasure Town was few and far between, after all: everyone knew Redley was a local, but Genevra was undoubtedly a foreigner.

Inevitably, the two returned to the clinic. Upon their entrance, they could see only two pokémon remained in the lobby. Dagin was seated in the middle along a row of chairs, his arms folded over his chest and legs crossed over one another, his expression reading irritation as he fixed his eyes to the floor. At the same time, Lina had returned to her evening shift in the clinic: located at her desk near the wall, she sat on a stool with a concentrated gaze on her papers, scrawling notes with a quill in one hand. Nevertheless, both Lina and Dagin concurrently turned their heads to discover who had walked in, and blinking in surprise, the flaafy and blaziken opened their mouths to speak. However, Lina was faster, and tossing aside her quill, she jumped off her stool and addressed them. 

“Well, we were wondering when you two would get back!” the flaafy greeted, then turned around to the patient’s hallway. “You must follow me to Mr. Padget’s room! Dr. Macrea is waiting for you!”

“And I was starting to doubt you two would ever return, especially given this time of day,” the blaziken muttered. His vexation was not going to go away easily. “Then that would make today unnecessarily worse after all that’s already happened!” 

Genevra grimaced upon hearing his remark, feeling no sympathy for Dagin’s supposed woes. She retorted quietly, “Well then, maybe we shouldn’t have returned.”

Redley cracked a smile when he caught Genevra’s words, resisting the temptation to laugh.

Before any more could be said, Genevra quickly stepped past Dagin, making it crystal clear she was ignoring him. Redley followed, passing the blaziken who stood momentarily baffled at the gardevoir’s dismissive action. The gallade, too, was indifferent, merely raising his eyes and could not help but tell Dagin with a look, _You brought her snarky attitude upon yourself._

With a grumpy sigh, the blaziken forced himself to walk forward. The unfairness of the situation was flat out insulting, but there was no other choice but to deal with it. He would have to get his retaliation later.

Soon enough, Genevra, Redley, and Dagin had arrived to the door of Mr. Padget’s room, where Lina knocking on the door a couple of times rapidly in warning. Without wasting another second, the flaafy opened the door and left, resuming her position up front at the lobby. Within the room was Dr. Macrea, slightly startled from the door having abruptly opened, not quite expectant of the visitors, and Mr. Padget himself, bouncing meekly in a far corner of the room. Genevra noted that the spoink had not shown any sign of physical or mental improvement from earlier, especially if he preferred to remain in the shadows of the corner away from the sun’s dying light coming through the window. At the moment, Mr. Padget was expressionless, eyes blank of all emotion, his gray skin drab and devoid of a healthy glow. The spoink had witnessed the visitors come in, but as they made no difference to him, it appeared as though he hadn’t seen them at all.

However, upon perceiving a glimmering rose gold orb in the arms of the gardevoir, his eyes flickered in recognition of the object. The spoink’s eyes blinked once, and then once more when it dawned to Mr. Padget that it was his beloved pearl.

Genevra was quick to notice that Mr. Padget had seen the pearl and looked to Dr. Macrea, gesturing with her arms that the leavanny take the item from her. The doctor instantly understood, and taking the pearl, Dr. Macrea made his way towards the spoink. Placing himself in front of Mr. Padget, the spoink temporarily stopped jumping, allowing Dr. Macrea to carefully crown the pearl atop his head. With this, Mr. Padget cried out in delight, relieved that he was at last reunited with his pearl. 

Dr. Macrea looked at Genevra approvingly, nodding his head once as he said, “Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this but thank you!”

Genevra shook her head, giving in to a slight smile. “Not at all. If anything, it was the combined efforts of both Redley and myself.”

Caught by surprise from Genevra’s mention of Redley, the gallade turned to look at the gardevoir in appreciation. She, however, did not seem to pay attention to him.

“Well then, I have both of you to thank for your generous help!” Mr. Padget bounced gleefully, interrupting his regular flow of small bounces. “I wouldn’t have survived for much longer if I was separated from my pearl even more! Without my pearl, I lose my sanity and my physical health weakens.”

“I sincerely wonder how you manage to lose possession of your pearl,” Dagin interjected while crossing his arms, “especially if you were only taking a stroll near Drenched Bluff. Thugs being in proximity to the location is plausible, but I can hardly comprehend the matter.”

“Ah, well, I suppose I must thoroughly explain my situation now that I have fully recovered.” Mr. Padget cleared his throat for the story he would tell next. “So, every once in a while, I like to leave Treasure Town and go strolling on the trails along the crossroads. Yesterday, as it was a fine day, I decided to trek around the trails near Drenched Bluff. However, while I was walking, a bunch of buffoons up to no good decided to circle around me and rob me of my precious pearl!” Here, the spoink paused, releasing an agitated breath. “And they were too quick for me to possibly see with my eye. They were so fast I couldn’t even see who they were. But they were laughing at me, for sure, and when I tried to run away, I got distracted from one of their attacks, and that was when they robbed me. From what I could see, my pearl ended up going off far into the direction of Drenched Bluff, and I didn’t want to risk going over there when I was already weakened. So I hopped back to Treasure Town with all I could, and ended up here. 

“Again, thanks to your efforts, I’ve been restored to full health!” Mr. Padget beamed, turning to face Redley and Genevra. “I hope you two didn’t have to put up with any of those thugs?”

Genevra gave a small tilt of her head to Redley’s direction, saying, “No. I was expecting them, but they didn’t show themselves.”

“We did, however, run into some predators along Drenched Bluff,” Redley added, and crossed his arms as he continued, “and we were lucky to escape with our lives with your pearl.”

“Well, that’s what exploration teams like you are for! It’s expected out in the wild,” Mr. Padget proclaimed as a matter of fact. “This _is_ part of your job description, after all!”

For just a second, a silence suspended heavily over the air. Both Dr. Macrea and Genevra made a face of bewilderment; the leavanny blinked multiple times to make sense of Mr. Padget’s words while the gardevoir had utterly no clue what the spoink was talking about. Meanwhile, Redley coughed, on the verge of voicing that no one in the room was a member of an exploration team. As it happened, it was Dagin who eventually broke the silence with a chortle, unable to control himself. Mr. Padget’s comment had been so far off from the truth he couldn’t help it but to laugh.

“What? What’s so funny?” Mr. Padget looked to the blaziken with flushed cheeks, embarrassed. “I don’t understand.”

Holding his stomach with his arms, the blaziken sought to pull himself together. “It’s just what you said that makes it so hilarious!”

Redley piped up, cutting through Dagin’s dying laughter. (The gallade was also uncomfortably reminded in the moment of his failure to sign up as a one-man exploration team, though he brushed it away instantly, focusing on the matter at hand.) “Well. The thing is. We’re not an exploration team.”

The spoink’s eyes widened, taken by surprise. “What? But I thought Dr. Macrea had requested an exploration team, as he told me?”

“I did, for the record. But it seems this gardevoir here decided otherwise.” Dr. Macrea indicated Genevra with an amused smile, who put her face in her palm in exasperation. She was not at all grateful of the spotlight on her, and tried to hide herself from others looking at her by glancing away elsewhere. The inconveniences she made today did not need further attention. 

“Ah, well. Exploration team or not, you two certainly proved worthy of being one from your good deed today!” Mr. Padget gave another jubilant bounce to show his appreciation. “You two shall be generously rewarded for your work! I shall address it to both of you…”

* * *

As Mr. Padget had promised, both Redley and Genevra were handsomely rewarded with a large sum of poké (the currency which Treasure Town and several other cities utilized) along with several medicines ( _protein_ , _calcium_ , _zinc_ , and _iron_ , all of which were beneficial for one’s battling prowess). After some mulling over on how to deliver the goods, it was eventually settled that the spoink would have the poké sent to the bank account under Redley’s name at the Duskull Bank, while the medicines would be transported via the Delibird Post to Redley’s home in the outskirts. Redley was pleased to have been gifted with such lavish offerings, and said a word of gratuity in better manners than he thought he could summon. Genevra, on the other hand, had no care for any material items, and modestly accepted them for the present situation. Rejecting Mr. Padget's awards would cause unneeded suspicions.

In the meantime, Dagin lightly tapped on Dr. Macrea’s shoulder, grabbing his attention from Mr. Padget, Genevra, and Redley. Motioning with a subtle flick of his head to the doorway, the blaziken indicated that he wanted to speak with the leavanny outside in the hallway rather than in Mr. Padget’s room. Dagin led the way out, and Dr. Macrea quietly slipped out after, lightly closing the door first before catching up to the blaziken.

“I would like to interview you briefly about Genevra’s health status,” Dagin said bluntly as soon as the doctor had arrived next to him. “Is she in safe condition to leave the clinic?” 

“I suppose you have a matter with Genevra?” Dr. Macrea’s question was frankly curious, but he had to defend the patient. “You realize you’re treading on patient confidentiality without so much of a written warrant.”

Dagin remained unfazed by the doctor’s excuse, though he knew it was a legal one. “I oversee the investigation of her strange arrival last night, as the clerk this morning called for a detective from Exploration Federation HQ. There is no reason for this case to be closed anytime soon, you see.”

“Oh.” Dr. Macrea nodded in comprehension, and knowing he had no choice but to give in to the detective’s question, he began again. “Well, earlier today, I conducted several short tests to examine how physically and mentally secure the gardevoir was, and I must say she has a rather good account in spite of the memory loss that’s happened to her.”

The detective was doubtful, not at all believing he could share the same deduction as the doctor. “Could you give me more details?”

“Of course. I came to three important conclusions: first, she can speak as normally as anyone else in town. She has no trouble with forming sentences, as we all have seen. Second, she is still literate, so she has not forgotten how to do basic skills such as reading and writing. I gave her a writing board for her to write several objects and her name, which she spelled correctly. One might surmise she grew up in a city like ours of a sort, albeit far away from us if she isn’t a native. And third, she can carry out physical assignments with her body without major discomfort. Besides, if Genevra could go out to Drenched Bluff to retrieve the pearl for Mr. Padget and come back safely, well, who am I to say she’s in poor health? I believe she is in fine condition, more or less,” Dr. Macrea finished his testimony. “Her memory loss is not as severe as it seems, especially if she’s positive about her name.”

“So, she has nothing she needs to be careful of? Even with all the positive signs of her health?” Dagin wanted to be sure.

Dr. Macrea frowned, eyes squinting as he said deep in thought, “If anything… she’d only have to be careful of her psychic faculties, as they’re directly correlated to her mind. For example, she might struggle executing some psychic capacities such as telekinesis or some battle moves, especially because she described of having a pounding headache since arriving. But the pain had gradually subsided, as Genevra noted herself, so she would most likely be fine. It makes sense that in time, she’d regain full command over her psychic powers, whatever they initially were.”

“Hmm.” Dagin furrowed his eyes in concentration, one talon on his chin as he stood there in contemplation. “Are you sure that’s everything you have about her? Is there anything else that would be beneficial to my inquiry, such as additional details on her mental health?”

The doctor gave a shrug, having no more information he could offer. “Detective, this is all I can do in my authorization. I’m a general doctor, not a specialist in psychological or psychiatric matters. We do have an expert for that here, Dr. Halle, but I’m sure you know she’s out of town. She’s not back for another few days.”

The blaziken chose to stay silent, absorbing the facts he had just gained. He wanted to say more that could possibly squeeze out any more knowledge, but finding nothing suitable to ask, he said resignedly, “I suppose that’s all, then.”

Knowing that he had fully complied with the detective, Dr. Macrea informed the blaziken, “Well, you’ll have to excuse me, as I have other responsibilities that need to be finished.”

Dagin nodded in acceptance, and the doctor walked past him, hurrying off down the hallway elsewhere.  

There was truly nothing else that could be gained from today, the detective knew. He had done what he could with the case. Yet, though all information was given, the conversation left Dagin feeling strangely underachieved. The blaziken was left standing there for perhaps a minute thinking of what to do next about Genevra’s situation.

From Mr. Padget’s room, he could hear muffled laughter of delight coming from the pokémon within.

* * *

Redley, Genevra, and Dagin were back at the clinic lobby, standing near the entrance. As of now, they were all waiting for Lina to finish Genevra’s discharge note up front. Predictably, the gardevoir expressed her wish to be discharged, as she did not want to have to continue staying a place where she wasted away by doing nothing all day but sit on a bed. At any rate, she had her doubt about regaining her memory any time soon, and preferred to get out of the clinic before anything else. If the expert came back in town anytime, Genevra said, maybe she’d pay a visit back. 

“Thankfully, Dr. Macrea doesn’t have any objections to this,” Redley said in affirmation to Genevra’s inclination. “After all, you managed to escape to a place as far away as Drenched Bluff. There’s no doubt then you’re fine.”

“Even so,” Dagin started, looking sternly to both the gallade and gardevoir, “you can be sure this isn’t the last time I am investigating the case.” The blaziken was going to fix himself firmly into the matter, and he was going to make sure of it. “I’ve already filed this case back at HQ earlier today, so for your information, the superiors can look at it at their discretion as they wish.”

Redley released a sigh, clearly annoyed. “No helping that now, I suppose.” 

“Don’t mistake my words. What I’m doing is making it so that the case is temporarily on hold, especially since the doctor sees Genevra as self-sufficient. I can’t gather any more information about this issue after all that’s happened today. And I quite hate to admit this but…” Dagin sighed now, and forced himself to continue. “I won’t interview either of you today. It may either happen at a later time, or it might never happen at all. It’s a true pity since memory habitually becomes altered over time, so the accuracy and precision of one’s memory tends to become distorted.”

The gardevoir rolled her eyes, not at all taking into consideration of her rude act. “May I ask why you’re taking this too seriously? What could you possibly gain by solving the appearance of my case, hm?”

“A case is a case, and we as detectives of the Exploration Federation are assigned to do our tasks with utmost dedication whether we like it or not,” Dagin answered brusquely, his eyes squarely meeting Genevra’s in a challenge. He certainly detected the rebellious tone in the gardevoir’s voice, and he was going to match her level of resistance. “Part of the reason why Treasure Town is safe and secure from criminals and the like is because this law enforcement agency Redley and I work in is strong. We follow through the laws faithfully, regardless of the perpetrator or victim we are investigating.” 

Genevra simply stared back at the blaziken’s eyes in defiance, showing no sign of fear from his intimidation. She wanted to counter, “It still seems like you’re excessively prying into this,” but determining the words wouldn’t be worth saying out loud, she swallowed them, now resentful of the moment. Just because she felt as though her privacy was invaded didn’t mean the detective would show any chance of easing his approach, let alone end the case. If that was the way the rules worked around in Treasure Town, then by great Dialga’s will, that was it.

A tense silence had formed, allowing Lina ample time to come forward and consequently soothe the strain between both pokémon. Though the flaafy had no desire to partake in the conflict that escalated between them, she most definitely did not need the quarrel to turn into a full-blown battle in the lobby of a health clinic, for heaven’s sake. Very deliberately, she strode forward with Genevra’s discharge note in her hand, and positioning herself exactly between the gardevoir and the blaziken, she looked to the gardevoir and said, “Your discharge is completed. You are free to go.”

Genevra was grateful for Lina’s interruption, nodding once and taking the note from her. “Thank you.”

Taking this as an opportunity to leave, Dagin tipped his hat to Redley and Genevra with a cool expression. “I suspect I’ll see you both around these parts, but I warn you to do stay out of any more trouble. Otherwise, you may find that I will be back sooner than you expect.” The blaziken turned around, exiting the building without a backward glance.

“Well, that was uncalled for.” Lina shook her head disapprovingly, hands on her hips. Perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for the present situation, but the flaafy could have administered a good old-fashioned scolding to the two on account of nearly causing an unnecessary skirmish. Before going back to her desk, she exclaimed, “The nerve of some pokémon!”

“I’m not fond of your coworker, Redley,” Genevra commented bitterly, holding her arms together by the elbow, the note grasped in one hand. It was as though she was rubbing herself warm from the cold air, but really, it was more of the dissatisfaction of having confronted the blaziken.

“Not everyone likes him, I can say that much.” Redley shared her feelings about Dagin. “I have the suspicion he enjoys using his position to boss others around.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be surprising.” The gardevoir looked away from the gallade, her face twisted in a scowl. Without further warning, Genevra rapidly began walking away to the exit, her eyes focused to the window on a direction outside in Treasure Town. The act was so unanticipated and baffling that Redley paused for a split second as she discourteously left the clinic without saying a goodbye to anyone, and realizing he had to catch up to her before she disappeared among the streets, he hurried after her. There were still urgent questions which demanded their proper answers.

“Where are you going?” Redley called to the gardevoir, spotting her as she turned a corner away to a less active street. He picked up his pace to meet Genevra, who was a few meters away.

“Anywhere that’s not here,” Genevra called back nonchalantly, not at all slowing her walking pace for Redley’s convenience. “You should know that.”

And just what kind of an answer was that? This gardevoir named Genevra was being ridiculously uncooperative, and no more than she had been since this morning, Redley thought. Picking up his pace to catch up to the gardevoir, he continued questioning in mind: Did she legitimately believe she would survive alone now that she was free from the clinic? Multiple doubts spawned into mind about her ability to stay self-sufficient in addition to the many questions already whirling in his head. Even after all that had happened today—the biggest event having escaped with her life from predators by a very small margin—Genevra still had the audacity to march away without having remotely any accurate understanding of her surroundings. What could a pokémon with merely the memory of her name do?

Still, if she was determined to play this apparent chasing game, then Redley would gladly play along. “You have a lot of guts for taking off like that,” Redley remarked incredulously, now having caught up with the gardevoir.

Genevra only smiled at his comment, her eyes glowing in mirth as she continued walking. “You’re not wrong.”

The gallade moved his head to the right, wanting to meet Genevra’s eyes. Though she didn’t return the gesture, Redley insisted, “At least give me a clear plan on how you’ll live on your own adequately.”

Genevra’s amused smile skewed into a bitter one. “Why would I tell you that?” The gardevoir crossed her arms as she walked. “You’re not my mother.”

Redley let out a chuckle, undeterred by her snide reply. “Does that mean you have no idea how to deal with the next few days on your own?”

At this, the gallade was finally awarded with a turn of Genevra’s head, and she glowered at him fully displeased. “Your persistence is perhaps _worse_ than that pitiful travesty of a detective.”

“I’ll gladly take that as a compliment,” Redley answered with an even composure. He had the feeling he was fully acquainted with her sarcastic temper by now and had to handle it somehow. “At least my persistence comes from wanting to make sure you’ll be safe and sound, not from uselessly trying to drill for your identity like some others.”

“Hmph.” The gardevoir abruptly looked away in disdain, crossing her arms. “What is this now, a pity party?”

“Far from it. And anyway, whatever happened to dinner? I thought we agreed together earlier that we’d get some after what happened back at Drenched Bluff.”

The instant Genevra heard the gallade’s mention of dinner, she found herself unexpectedly pausing her hasty walking for a slight moment, Redley stopping along with her. Now, she remained speechless, reluctant on how to proceed the discussion. With muscles tightening inside her chest and fingers tightly pressing into her crossed arms, the gardevoir defended herself hotly. “It was only in the moment because I—I was feeling bad about it! You—You didn’t really think that I’d actually agree to have dinner with you, did you?!”

This earned her a sigh of pure exasperation on Redley’s part. “Well, I can say I wasn’t expecting you _not_ to keep your word from earlier.”

The gardevoir kept her arms crossed, and she glanced downwards to the ground. She was debating on whether to make a break for it and not have to cope with this gallade, who, for whatever godforsaken motivation, wanted so badly to give his concern to her. However, she knew well enough that such a solution would only be a temporary band-aid to the deeper problem underlying her reality. This in mind, Genevra chose instead to stand still and silent, her throat tight as she grappled with words to form an answer. Beginning with a rigid sigh, she said, “Okay. I guess it’s a good idea for me to have dinner somewhere, anywhere, just not near here. There’s too many pokémon and I don’t want anyone else looking at me.” Genevra brought herself to look in Redley’s eyes next to highlight her upcoming assertion. “Afterwards, I’ll probably hide out along the hills surrounding town for some time so I can figure out my next move.”

A small pause dangled in the air before the gallade spoke. “What a coincidence,” Redley said frankly. “My home is right along the hills. This sounds like a practical plan.” Then the gallade paused, his expression hesitant as if to make sure of the words he’d say next. “If you need it, you could hang around my place for the time being.”

Alarmed at the gallade’s suggestion, Genevra recoiled. She felt a flush rising to her cheeks, uncomfortable at the fact that she appeared so helpless now. To her dismay, she needed to be dependent on others, and it wasn’t going to be easy to persuade anyone, particularly Redley, otherwise. Why else would he offer her his own home like this?

Redley, however, didn’t seem to notice Genevra’s drawing back. Instead, the gallade examined their surroundings, head shifting from left to right to note their next possible step. At present, the two had arrived far enough to the edge of the town streets: from where they stood, one side was comprised of structures and properties, all painted in rich and numerous shades of ochre, representing Treasure Town’s urban development. Cobblestone streets circled around them to mark it as urbanized, but they eventually gave way on the other side where they dispersed into roughly hewn footpaths, all of which gradually ushered pedestrians upward to the hills and its homes.

“Well, it looks like from where we stand, we can navigate back to my place and you can have dinner there,” the gallade commented just as frankly as he had spoken before. “It’s not too far away from here.”

“With your offer, I somehow can’t shake off the feeling that it’s like you’re _babysitting_ me,” Genevra said scornfully. “Just _wonderful_.”

This particularly disparaging remark from the gardevoir made Redley frown, and this time, he drew back slightly. “There’s nothing unreasonable about my offer,” Redley went on, restraining the hostility starting to seethe into his voice. He was starting to lose his patience with the gardevoir now.

“Nothing unreasonable!” the gardevoir protested to the gallade. “Well, let’s put it all into my perspective, shall we? I barely know you, because I’ve only met you _yesterday_. And here you are, a total _stranger_ to me, offering your place for me to essentially _stay_ with you.”

“Temporarily,” the gallade added to clarify his meaning. “And sure. You have a good point, I am a total stranger to you. But here’s the thing: You don’t have anywhere to go. And I’m the only one you know most well around here, even if we just met yesterday. Dagin will probably continue stalking you whether you like it or not, and if he finds you again, then you won’t be so lucky as you are now. Plus, you don’t even know the environment around you very well. Do you really think it’s a wise idea for you to wander around alone?

“Listen.” A sigh of exhaustion from the gallade. “I’m truly sorry if sending you to the clinic made things worse for you. I admit I can’t understand why you’d reject help, but if that’s the way you believe it should be, then I accept it. All I can do now to make it better for you is to help you more discreetly.”

The gardevoir merely faltered at Redley’s words, looking down to the ground again in her unwillingness to accept them. Genevra had known from the start of her objection that she would ultimately lose her argument—all of Redley’s words had resounded as rightful and sincere. The fact that she simply couldn’t bear to be vulnerable to several many dangers, as she had been when she’d fallen prey to cradily and armaldo, made her feel all the more defenseless. Overwhelmed by this, the gardevoir’s remaining sense of dignity at last dissipated, and Genevra became suddenly aware of the severe lack of faith she had within her to trust others; in fact, it was this lack of faith that made it so demanding of her to submit to anyone or anything but her self-preserving instincts. She could not allow herself to relent without difficulty, but perhaps that could be amended now with the unselfish guidance of this gallade named Redley… could it?

Redley, without much effort, understood the gardevoir’s current frame of mind. He himself was now conscious of his own circumstance, which amounted to a similar reality: denying help from others when he shouldn’t have, from Kedryck’s caring words to Jeanette’s selfless concern (nosy though it seemed to be) to Dr. Peyton’s deeply-rooted compassion, thinking exclusively of his own self-interest instead. There was a wide distance of mistrust he had created himself against various individuals, for better, as he thought, and worse, as others thought. Though it could be said Dr. Peyton had forgiven him for the day, there was still a debt the gallade needed to fulfill in return– one measured conceivably on a cosmic spectrum—and one that could begin with the situation at hand. And Redley, duly recognizing this severe gap of trust between them, now sought to bridge one together in effort to heal the strain that had grown between. “Trust me, Genevra,” Redley said with more empathy he thought possible he could muster, “I can guarantee you your privacy.”

A moment of silence occupied the air before it broke. Conscientiously, Genevra willed herself to meet Redley’s eyes, lifting her head up. In that single instant she had met his eyes, a thought occurred to the gardevoir: _If you stay, Genevra, maybe, just maybe, there_ is _a chance you’ll discover something about yourself._

“… Fine. I’ll go with you.” Genevra seemed to be finished with her words, but then quickly added as if it would be too late, “For now.”

“For now,” Redley repeated in agreement, and then burst into a tired but victorious chuckle.

“Your chuckling is much appreciated.” Genevra was back to her snarky remarks.

Redley’s chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. “I’m not trying to offend you!”

“Hmmm…” the gardevoir turned her head away from the gallade. “Alright." 

As the gallade finished the last of his laughter, a wonder came to his mind as he looked to her briefly. Genevra, Redley thought, was odd and preposterous, yet somehow, beneath her cold and thorny exterior was a fascinating interior, one which he found curiously relatable and familiar.

* * *

By the time both pokémon had neared Redley’s home along the sloping hills, the fiery streaks of twilight gave way to the deepening evening. Dominating all over Treasure Town and its outskirts, this night sky brimmed with hundreds of stars, each one a crystalline sparkle, and just above the horizon, many of these stars flowed and merged in a singular and luminous elliptical shape, the central characteristic leading to conclusion that was known as the Milky Way Galaxy. Rising simultaneously with the stars was the stark peel of the crescent moon casting its delicate light below on earth. The faint city lights of Treasure Town huddled together in a glistening pool between the sloping hills as though it was at the bottom of a lake, its warmth glittering alongside the twinkling heavens above. At the distant end of this view rested the eternal ocean, and even here, the docile wind of nightfall carried a light trace of its briny tang along with murmurs of the ocean waves, its soothing lullaby occasionally drifting back and forth to those who offered their ears to listen to it.

Genevra could not help but give her attention such phenomenal beauty—it was as though she had never seen such an extraordinary marvel in all her life, and she could not help but gaze to the landscape with an open mouth, as though she were releasing a sigh of awe. Though Redley had initially been leading the way to his home, and the gardevoir accepted trailing behind the gallade, she paused rather frequently to grasp a glimpse of this stunning scenery. With each step they took, they ascended further above along the hill, and it became more and more difficult for Genevra to follow the gallade. Such distractions eventually prompted Redley to glance behind him more than once to check that the gardevoir was still by his side, and he wondered if Genevra, again, was secretly going to make another run for it. But no—the gallade watched the gardevoir closely, interpreting her expression, and seeing that she was only amazed at the spectacular vista, he himself was reminded in the moment of how often he took the view for granted.

Redley chuckled softly to himself before calling out to the gardevoir, who was standing a few meters down the trail. “You act as if you’ve never seen this before.”

Though the dark made it inconvenient for one to see clearly in the night, the moonlight gave off a velvety illumination that was enough for the gallade to see Genevra throwing back a sardonic eye. “Considering that I’m most likely not around from here, that shouldn’t be surprising.”

“No,” Redley agreed as he stood there, now waiting for the gardevoir to catch up on him, “I suppose not.”

“I take it we’re almost near your place.”

“Just about.”

It was only a few more minutes before Redley and Genevra made it to the flat ground where Redley’s home sat upon. Genevra peered around her surroundings, figuring it would be best to get accustomed to the place she would be staying at for the days to come: by the looks of the outline loosely defined by the moonlight, the gallade’s home was a modest one-story cottage constructed of bricks, where a small chimney cap popped out right of the thatched roof. The façade of the home consisted of only a wooden door serving as the entrance, while a square window, covered partially by the dark fabric of a curtain, was positioned to the right. Judging from its appearance, it promised a sturdy shelter from any kind of weather, granting cool shade to the hottest of sunny days and cozy warmth to the coldest of rainy nights. The gardevoir was rest assured at the home, and thought for a moment that staying here for the time being wouldn’t be so unfavorable after all.

That thought almost vanished when the two entered Redley’s home, for Genevra made out the apparent untidiness scattered within its shadows, silhouettes of various objects littered across the space. The gallade had no need to notice the gardevoir’s look of distaste, for the memory of his home’s mess quickly came back to mind as he unlocked the door. Now startled by his social conscious, Redley gave an apology for the clutter spread all throughout, to which the gardevoir expressed that she would have to make do with what she had. Thankful for her disregarding his home’s sorry state, Redley searched in haste for the least soot-stained oil lamp among his cabinets, and retrieving a match from a drawer, he lit the lamp and placed it upon the closest countertop. The light cast looming shadows all throughout the one-room home, brightening the disorder dispersed across. 

Once more, the gardevoir took note of her surroundings, the light allowing her to focus with more clarity on the home’s interior space. It was a very practical home with hardly any frills or ornaments to adorn the residence. Cornered to her right was an open kitchenette equipped with wooden cupboards and countertops, a porcelain basin placed below the window where moonlight filtered through. A fireplace with an open hearth situated nearby along the right wall remained unused, logs placed within ready for kindling. On the side opposite was a single all-purpose table accompanied with two stools, books and various documents strewn about, while a tall bookshelf loomed across from the fireplace. In the back, a waist-high bamboo partition divided a portion of the abode into two-thirds, and the gardevoir guessed that the last third of the home was where Redley’s bed lay. The sparse amount of furniture gave more freedom for the moonlight to percolate through the four windows, two of each spaced equally on the left and right walls, accenting the spacious arched roof above their heads. All in all, it was a simple and ordinary house, supplying only the necessities, even if the home appeared to be a dumping ground.

After clearing some of the items off the floor and the table, which consisted of pushing piles of books and some loose laundry to one side, Redley prepared a crude meal for himself and his guest. The gallade briefed Genevra about his lack of fresh groceries and apologized for it, mentioning most of his current groceries were well on their way to the expiration date, if not already having passed it. The only foodstuffs available for their consumption were the oran and pecha berries taken straight from the care basket Jeanette had given Redley that morning– though he had not told that to Genevra, thinking the matter irrelevant. She did, however, think that the white basket with the sparkly pink ribbon on its handle was peculiarly out of place, for when she had first swept her eyes across his home, the gardevoir had to wonder what such a feminine object would be doing in a house like Redley’s. However, she made no comment regarding this oddity, merely studying the object for a moment before informing Redley she was accepting of this situation. Thus, dinner became a utilitarian affair where the gardevoir and gallade shared the sliced berries on a wooden plate in silence.

With the evening meal in due course complete, Redley volunteered to help set up a nest with an extra bale of hay stored in the back corner, creating a small space for Genevra to sleep. Uncomfortable with the fact that the gallade would be the one to make her bed, and that he had already done so much for her today, Genevra declined his offer. Seeing that the gardevoir would prefer taking the chore upon herself, Redley did not argue with her, simply nodding his head in agreement and proceeding to find an additional blanket for her use. In the meantime, Genevra had begun loosening the bale of hay, deciding her bed to be set down under the window exactly opposite of Redley’s. No sooner, she had spread the hay to her liking, and the gallade tossed her a clean blanket, which she caught with deft hands. Saying her final word of thanks, she motioned with a yawn that she would fall asleep soon, and landing on her knees, she turned her back to Redley as she started to lie down, curling herself up as she subsided into a deep slumber. The gardevoir had had a long day, whether she knew it or not, and soon, the gallade heard gentle breaths in a steady rhythm from her person, finding himself unexpectedly calmed by her sleeping. 

For some time, Redley stood there observing Genevra as she slept, questioning himself if he had taken the best course of action for him _and_ for the gardevoir. In a little more than twenty-four hours, the gallade had undertaken the responsibility of this pokémon, and now came the brooding sensation of conceivable repercussions to come: Dagin, being the fastidious detective he was, would inevitably discover Genevra’s residing with him and belabor this fact ceaselessly; and if neighbors and other townspeople around Treasure Town discovered this, too, there would be gossip unavoidable regardless of how much effort he would put in suppressing it, for his sake and for hers. Then, there was the impending issue with his girlfriend, Jeanette—since he had not spent any genuine quality time with her in the recent past (in fact, he couldn’t be bothered to remember the last time they had truly enjoyed a day together), and almost wished for her to find someone else to love for their sake, the possibility of her learning about Genevra settled under Redley’s skin anxiously. She was, after all, still his girlfriend, but at a time where the gallade was having significant relationship difficulties, inviting in another female to live at his home was not exactly shrewd on his part. The memory of their argument this morning flickered within his mind, and he felt a stab of combined aggression and annoyance in his chest. 

There was only so much he could do for her, Redley thought as he turned away from the gardevoir, making his way towards his own bed. And now, too many thoughts were swarming madly in his mind, refusing to quiet down as he began making himself comfortable with his blankets. What would happen tomorrow? What would become of his career as a bounty hunter? What could Genevra do to help recover from her amnesia? And could he somehow help? Why did he bother helping a stranger like Genevra clearly not native of Treasure Town, when he couldn’t even help himself with his own problems? Unable to fall asleep as naturally as Genevra had, Redley remained awake for quite some minutes listening and basking in the silence that had finally come at last after a long day, hoping to distract his thoughts from further turmoil. But soon, in the still of the night as he lied on top of his nest, he became aware of a small lump near his left arm. For a second, the question of what the object was piqued his interest, until the answer flashed in mind just as swiftly: it was his precious Relic Fragment—he had been distracted all day and left it here to hide under his blankets ever since he had taken it off this morning.

The gallade sighed once as he retrieved the item from his side, his thoughts turned back to Genevra as he lifted the pouch above his head, staring at it: it was she who had been selfless to help him, even though she was perhaps in no condition to do so, and yet she did. Though Redley remembered the gardevoir’s intrigued expression as she had seen him slip the stone back into its pouch from yesterday’s battle with Wilben and Gare, he could not, and dared not to, bring himself to reveal such sensitive details about the item to her. This item had a unique historical antiquity meant for those chosen to understand its purpose and value—as his beloved Guardian had told him—and Redley was going to make sure of it that only those he deemed worthy of carrying its weight and burden would hear of it. Without a doubt, Redley was grateful to Genevra for helping him regain possession of what was quite literally a priceless artifact as well as not having revealed anything about it during Dagin’s interrogation at the clinic—but that did not deserve her the award of him enlightening her its invaluable history. The gardevoir apparently acknowledged that without complaint, for she hadn’t mentioned it once along the way back to the beach before she collapsed upon herself, nor did she bring it up at any point today. Anyhow, she was more preoccupied about leaving the clinic than she was about the item, to his convenience. Perhaps she had forgotten about the relic by now, as it didn’t seem to serve her any meaning.

Closing his eyes, the gallade lowered the pouch to his chest, fingers securely gripping the stone within. He would have to find a better way to conceal the item, as he didn’t want to risk bringing it everywhere he went. Already, at least four pokémon had knowledge of this item’s existence, all of whom didn’t need to know it and shouldn’t know of it, but it was too late to turn back time now to prevent its happening. What was more disconcerting than their having the knowledge was the fact that Wilben and Gare had falsely accused him of stealing this item, and this was beyond Redley’s comprehension—they had no real apprehension of his circumstance, as it was bound only for two pokémon to fully know: his Guardian, and the gallade himself. And if their Chief, Chief Senler, had claimed to see Redley “steal” the relic, it could cause for problems uncalled for. If only he hadn’t brought it along with him yesterday, or at least had considered a better way to disguise it on him…!  

A long yawn escaped Redley’s mouth, to his surprise. Now, he felt his body relax, and he felt himself sinking further into his nest, drowsiness overcoming him. His mind still droned with several thoughts and questions, but they grew more disorderly, each thought and question blending into one another and becoming nearly indiscernible. Having no more effort to distinguish and perceive each one as its own, he let his mind slump into a chaotic array of thoughts and the day’s happenings before slipping in to a dark and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Redley awoke the next morning with a jolt, a heart pulse pricking his throat with abnormal intensity as his eyes popped fully open. Consequently, the gallade felt all muscles in his body contract from its strain, and he knew he had woken too early to get up, wondering if his biological clock for rest had gone insane. His body craved for more sleep the moment he realized he had awakened, but his mind said otherwise, requesting he be alert and ready for the day. Pushing aside his want for sleep, the gallade checked his surroundings, feeling the Relic Fragment still snug within his hold on top of his chest. He allowed himself a breath of relief, glad to still have the item in his possession. Then, abruptly remembering that he had Genevra staying over his home, he bolted upright to confirm her wellbeing. 

Genevra was not in her nest. The blanket was neatly rolled to the side, deliberate in its placement.

Panic set in the gallade: had she left already? Or more accurately, run off on her own? If she had, she did so without so much of a proper goodbye. Yet that shouldn’t have been a surprise, given her derisive personality: she had shown no sign of tolerating patience in the short time he had known her, nor did she display any attempt at such virtue. It seemed that she was restless and self-governing, the kind to make decisions on an over-assertive basis—this was how he understood her to be, and this was what he had to assume of her now. Flinging aside his own blankets, Redley rose to his feet, tucking the pouch under his blankets once more (while reminding himself to return to it later, keeping it properly safe), and rushed to the door, in the possibly useless attempt of finding the last of her before she disappeared off into Arceus knew where. With a forceful push open of the door, the gallade scanned the front grounds of his home. He was taken by stupefaction when he saw Genevra very serenely sitting on a nearby tree stump to his right, one leg crossed over the other, reading a copy of the latest _Treasure Town Times_ spread wide over her view in her hands.

It took a few moments for the gardevoir to register the sound of Redley’s door urgently opening, and when she bothered to lower her newspaper under her head to see what the fuss was about, Genevra merely found a gallade staring at her with sheer bewilderment written all over his face. “Good morning. Was that your way of saying, ‘Good morning!’ to me?”

Redley was frozen in place, blinking once to verify he was not seeing the illusion of the gardevoir. “And here I thought you had run off _again_.”

“Well, then that would show I’ve learned virtually nothing from yesterday. But I like to think that I have learned a lesson or two,” she replied in earnest, meeting the gallade’s eyes. “I agreed to stay with you, and I intend to keep my word. Your offer is a generous one, one seemingly not offered so often either.”

Hearing this made the gallade smile, his eyes revealing a spark of laughter. He had become so inured to her habitual snarky attitude that this response from the gardevoir was surprising, and also pleasant.

In that moment, Redley’s good-humored look made the gardevoir recoil in minor discomfort—frankly, she was taken aback by it. With this, Genevra turned away from the gallade, focusing on her next statement. She did not need to develop a cordial relationship with _anyone_ here, even if it was the gallade who had twice come to her aid. “In addition, I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of cleaning out your mailbox for you. It was about to explode upon itself from the amount of mail stuffed in here.” With that, the gardevoir indicated with the subtle tilt of her head the rectangular mailbox hung low under the window of Redley’s home, purposely avoiding his eyes. “As you can see, I am reading today’s copy of your subscription to the _Treasure Town Times_. The rest of your mail is laid out on your table.”

Redley turned to the emptied metal mailbox to his left, seeing that its top lid had fixed itself over the box’s opening. The question of when he had last collected his mail came to mind, but he struggled to recall a recent day he had done so. The gallade was reminded he truly had his priorities out of order, and he supposed he should have thanked Genevra for doing him a favor, but the gardevoir spoke again before he could do so.

“There was also some urgent mail you received that looks like it was postmarked just yesterday,” the gardevoir continued, now lifting the newspaper over her head to resume her reading. This made the large newspaper block the top half of Genevra from Redley’s view. “I think it would be recommended to read them as soon as possible.”

Redley turned back to the gardevoir, not at all minding the newspaper obscuring her. “What makes you say that?”

“There are some envelopes from Exploration something-or-other, with the word _important_ stamped in red ink,” Genevra replied blithely. “I recall that’s where you are employed.”

The drama which had escalated from the past few days at work flowed back into his memory, and as though a bucket of ice cold water had just been dumped over his body, the agony of the consequences which had been left festered to the back of his mind now revived within him.

Without another word, Redley turned back into his home, moving towards the single table which had passed his eye this morning: a hefty bundle of mail – from advertisements to multiple copies of _Treasure Town Times_ to town notices – heaped itself over the table. On the very top were two ivory matte envelopes, the Exploration Federation insignia imprinted on their bottom left corners. Both were addressed to Redley, and sure enough, as Genevra had said, the word _important_ was stamped diagonally across in bold vermilion letters along with a postmark printed on the top right corner. Having no patience in delaying the contents of the envelopes, the gallade tore open the first envelope on top from its waxed seal, seizing the letter inside. Redley’s heartbeat pounded fiercely within him, reading the words with anxious haste, so much so he practically skipped several words:

_To Redley the Bounty Hunter,_

_It is with our deepest regret in our announcing of your termination from the Exploration Federation, effective immediately. We, as the Administrators of the Exploration Federation, have unanimously come to this decision regarding your recent unprofessionalism in your work as well as your unjustified altercation with Deputy Olind._

_You will receive your last salary from the last quarter of your employment. Please stop by the Payroll Department to retrieve it by the end of this month._

_We wish you the best of luck for your future endeavors._

_Sincerely,_

_Administrators of the Exploration Federation_

Pure shock paralyzed the gallade in place, his body trembling faintly from the blow he had just encountered as both his hands clenched the paper he read before his very eyes. What he had just read couldn’t be true— _no_ , it _could not_ be true, and certainly he could not _afford_ it to be true. But no matter how many times he blinked for clarity and how many times he reread the words in the hopes that he had misread the letter, the truth was indisputably blunt: Redley was fired from his only occupation. The news was a shattering wake-up call to Redley, and as he expected of himself, he could only react mutely and numbly, his senses disoriented in the moment as he stared blankly at the letter before him.

Even in his state of total astonishment, however, he remembered that there was another letter waiting to be read. Redley knew he had to compose himself in spite of what he had just discovered, though it was hard to do so as he gave a sudden shove to the dismissal notice back into its envelope. He tossed it back to the pile of mail and retrieved the next envelope, this time opening it with less aggression.

_Dear Redley,_

_By the time you read this I’m sure you’ll have gotten the unwelcome news. I give you my sincerest apologies in being unable to do much for your reputation—I attempted even to let the administrations give you the choice of resigning on your part, though several others felt otherwise on the issue._

_Your time with us at the Exploration Federation proved to be indispensable and irreplaceable. The Exploration Federation is going to have a difficult and demanding time finding someone to replace you—I do not exaggerate when I say I have not seen anyone else of your caliber in my long years as a director of the Exploration Federation._

_If I recall clearly from earlier, I understand that Guildmaster Wigglytuff has rejected your application to form a one-man exploration team—perhaps you can come by my office in the near future to discuss the matter? I would like to aid you further in forming an exploration team by searching for alternatives, even with Guildmaster Wigglytuff’s refusal._

_Let us keep in touch._

_Take care,_

_Dr. P_

The gallade’s heart softened as he finished reading the letter with fingers loosening their grip against the letter. A sigh overcame him, and he had to look away for a moment to let the details thoroughly immerse in to his mind. His gaze fixed outside from the nearby window, Redley wondered at his own inadequacy to support himself: was he _this much_ of a dismal failure? Had he allowed himself to erect barriers so tall that he could no longer foresee the ramifications of his obstinate refusals of accepting his own mistakes? Granted, there were warnings he wholeheartedly hadn’t wanted to hear from several others like Jeanette… And the enduring fact was that he had driven so far up into his own thoughtless and self-centered behavior that deep down beneath the layers, as the small but willful conscious buried within him decreed, he had deserved this. This was the reward he had gotten for his rebellious and adolescent behavior, and he would have to live accordingly. 

Redley remained standing for a few more moments, eyes focused blankly outside the window at nothing as his mind quickened with the influx of questions and doubts spawning inside. Yet, as he could make out in his dazed state of being, there was a tiny window of hope in the distance still open to him alone: _alternatives_ , as Dr. Peyton had written, _to form an exploration team_. Even after his severe dismissal, Dr. Peyton, with his privileged position of authority, still had the generous audacity to offer him his assistance. The blastoise knew no boundaries with his magnanimity whatsoever. To the surprise of himself, the gallade chuckled feebly at this realization. Dr. Peyton was often viewed as too lenient in giving second chances by several other colleagues, and there were numerous times he had overheard his ex-coworkers gossip the improbabilities of Dr. Peyton’s promotion to head director with his liberal heart… According to them, he was too naïve and too good-hearted to hold such a high seat of power and influence, especially of the Exploration Federation, as so many had said. Not only did he give too many chances, Dr. Peyton oftentimes slackened the rules against those whom he deemed as struggling underlings of a system they could not maintain themselves to, but would eventually overcome. How he still had the ranking of head director was beyond the comprehension of many, including Redley… But perhaps it was precisely the strong faith in believing the good of others that gave him the strength to continue this way?

One thing for sure, however: the gallade was going to cling on to this opportunity. With renewed determination, Redley folded Dr. Peyton’s note back into his envelope and searched for his messenger bag, placing the envelope inside. Later, he would pay a visit to the director, but what of Genevra? She was now a guest whom Redley was responsible for… Not to mention, his own home was still a magnificent dump of disarrayed objects. Genevra, like anyone else with a sense, no doubt had thought lowly of the mess, but he could safely surmise the fact that she had a place to stay for the night overruled her dislike of the untidiness present. With a swift and single once-over of his home’s interior space, Redley made the immediate and much-needed decision to begin cleaning out his home not only for the guest now temporarily housing with him, but for himself: the gallade was going to start a fresh new chapter in his life, and he was going to begin now!

* * *

Today’s copy of the _Treasure Town Times_ seemed to hold nothing of significant interest to Genevra, though she was hoping that information found within would spark the gears of her memory to retrieve something, _anything_ , from the deep abyss of her subconscious. Yet the headline didn’t even catch anything of interest, featuring an article which discussed the dire rise of criminals and outlaws around Treasure Town apparently proliferating within the recent weeks. The article gave its due notice to the Exploration Federation along with the Magnezone Police Department, however, and ended on a rather positive note on how the historic and esteemed law enforcement establishments were investigating into the situation, presumably resting assurance to the readers. The only item mentioned in the article which had aroused Genevra’s curiosity was the reference to the unpredicted and abhorrent murder of a furret named Hayden along the outskirts of the town, the details of how the murder was executed hinting at an unjustifiably violent means. It was strange to the gardevoir that a murder could be reported with such heightened emotional dramatism—not that the murder wasn’t worthy of its dramatism, for a murder was undisputedly terrible on all accounts… But was Treasure Town so unaccustomed to such that its denizens could only and truly view it with incredible sensitivity? Reading the article had made her feel more disillusioned, and she further concluded that she most certainly did not come from here if all citizens here were easily hurt at such a matter—her sharp and snarky attitude had to be products of another environment she grew up in. Pokémon here were too nice and too idealistic, even, judging from what she had read. 

So the gardevoir sifted through the rest of the pages of the newspaper, glimpsing through numerous articles. One talked of a recent town effort to remodel old residencies along an aged street of Treasure Town and convert them for future entrepreneurial use for several business startups, another spotlighted entertainment activities around the community to come, including an outdoor concert, a public book reading, and an open club meeting for knitters and crocheters to showcase their handcrafts and works-in-progress. As enjoyable of activities as they appeared to be, it proved itself to be uneventful to Genevra, and after several more articles of essentially nothing serving her concern, she closed the newspaper, ready to search to head inside to obtain newspapers of the previous days. Just as the gardevoir neared the entrance, however, she was received with a sudden burst open of the door: Redley had kicked open the door with a free foot, an arm holding up a couple of clay pots with his other hand carrying a bucket of sullied water.

Genevra stared at the gallade, eyes wide in surprise. In the air, there was an abrasive shift of mood the gardevoir detected coming directly from Redley himself. She backed slightly, cautious of his intents.

Redley, however, had the good grace to recognize his startling the gardevoir. “I hope I didn’t scare you too much there.”

The gardevoir blinked. “Erm, no. Everything… everything okay there?”

“Yeah, I’m just cleaning up.” Redley set down the bucket of water to one side, and walked over to the shade of a nearby tree where he placed the clay pots, bending down on his knees as he continued, “My home’s been messy for a while now. I figured it would be good to begin now.”

Watching the gallade open the clay pots and emptying out some spoiled fruit and berries (to both their distaste), Genevra couldn’t shake off the odd feeling she discerned from the gallade. Yet, she also had the suspicion that she wouldn’t be allowed to question the gallade why that was so. Shrugging it off, she said rather unsurely in reply, “Well… that’ll do some good.”

Redley turned back to the gardevoir. “Did you need help with something?”

Genevra shook her head. “I was only going to get more newspapers from your mail.”

“That sounds like a good start, learning what you can get your hands on.” The gallade turned back to scoop out the remaining spoiled foodstuffs within the pot. “Have you gotten anywhere yet?”

“No. I’ve only read one so it’ll take a lot more than that just to help regain any semblance of my memory back.” Here, the gardevoir let out a sigh, suggesting her patience was running dry. “Still, it seems to be the only option that I can think of for now.”

The gallade finished clearing out a pot, setting it down to the floor before standing back up to look at Genevra. “You know, I’m going down to Treasure Town in a few minutes to run a few errands. If you like, we can look along the newsstands around the marketplace to see if any of them catch your interest. Do you want to come along?”

The gardevoir had just stepped under the arch of the doorway upon hearing Redley’s words, pausing to think of his offer.

“I’m aware you don’t like the attention that comes in showing yourself to the public,” Redley said, half-expecting the gardevoir to deliver another one of her signature sardonic remarks. “But if research is what you’re going after, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to expose yourself to the public for just a little. In the end, my home doesn’t have much to offer you. I don’t think it would do any good for you to hole yourself up there for too long after you finish, and it could take a while for your memory to resurface itself.”

Genevra remained silent, feeling wary of the offer’s practicalities. Redley was right: it was true she couldn’t afford to stay here for an extended period of time without not knowing what else to do. Resources here were limited even after she would be finished reading through his newspapers, and the gardevoir knew waiting around for her memory was not the most feasible plan to do. After all, she had broken out of the clinic yesterday, done in part because she didn’t want to stay trapped in one building for the whole day. Pushing her impatience aside, she quickly considered the effect of going downtown with Redley to Treasure Town: she would have to show herself to the public once more, and that involved the risk of pokémon pointing her out when she still clearly wanted to remain hidden. While she didn’t consider herself quite special or distinguished enough to be the talk of the town (a mysterious gardevoir has arrived in town—like that would be the subject of talk among cafes?), she did get the feeling that because Treasure Town seemed such a tightly-knit community, there would still be a necessary amount of unwanted notice and attention pointed at her.

 _But I’m contradicting myself!_ Genevra thought in the midst of her disjointed feelings. _And some damage has already been done… what more do I have left to lose?_

“Then that means I’ll have to compromise with myself,” Genevra muttered rather suddenly to herself.

The gardevoir abruptly turned around, looking back to the gallade. There was some reluctance evident in her voice as she spoke, but she braved on nonetheless. “You know what, I think I’ll tag along with you. My stupidity yesterday didn’t serve me particularly well, so… I want to try to change that. I… I was being irrational, for reasons I don’t understand, so I… I think it won’t hurt too much if I go with you.”

Redley blinked, frankly surprised by Genevra’s answer. Was it possible… that she was beginning to warm up? No longer acting on unjustifiable and baseless instinct?

“Let’s just not spend too much time there,” Genevra added in haste, as if to spare herself the trouble of further presence in town. This was the one thing she could say to help stay out of sight, and it was probably her best shot at doing so.

The gallade felt half of a smile form at one end. “Well, then. We’ll be leaving in a few minutes. I hope you're ready.”


	5. Chapter 5

For the many denizens of Treasure Town, today looked to be an ordinary and promising day of commerce and activity as the others had been. Already, as expected, several pokémon moved around and about, traversing to various destinations within the town: the mailmen were making their rounds, the market square with its opened grocery stalls declared welcome to customers, and the morning street cleaners hustling from street to street worked efficiently. Yet there were those who were less inclined to give in to the loudly energetic throng of Treasure Town, preferring a calmer frame of mind: at one park, a small party of pokémon were at ease in a collective yoga session while some other pokémon sat on stones along the murmuring streams which weaved all throughout town, some having a quiet conversation, others with their heads buried in books.

Above, the sky was richly blue with patches of white clouds splayed across, providing occasional relief from the glaring heat of the sun to those who stood under them. As such, however, the sun gave off a gleam, bringing to vivacity the impressive skyline which Treasure Town had the honor of calling its own. The tallest of its buildings, which also happened to be some its oldest, marked a modest sort of ambition, its architects wishing to devote their magnificence for all of Treasure Town to share. This included the time-honored clock tower which stood at the heart and center of the town, and at every hour, its deep and resonant bell rang with a predetermined number of peals to make known the current time to those who listened. 

As Redley and Genevra arrived late morning to Treasure Town, the bell chimed ten times. This signified that the town was now beginning its prime time of day, pokémon occupying nooks and crannies all over whilst several others merely enjoyed walking along the roads in leisure, stopping only when a shop or event of interest captured their attention. Because Treasure Town had a long history, its architecture was principally assembled in the past few centuries or so: almost all its buildings displayed signs of first-rated masonry, their construction built entirely of either stones or bricks with mortar binding them together, upholding the building. Occasionally, a precarious-looking bridge linked together two buildings over a street above from the third or fourth floor, but its resilience was not to be underestimated. Hardy vines sprawled along numerous building walls, sprouting from the cracks found within the cobblestone roads and crawling as high as they could to absorb as ample amount of sunlight they could.

At the start of their arrival, being exposed to such a large number of pokémon left the wary Genevra with an uncomforting sensation. Indeed, there were several who merely passed by her, not giving a second glance or thought of the gardevoir, but there were also several others who glanced at her not once, but twice, as though they had the privilege of knowing every citizen in town and was surprised to learn of a newcomer that they did not know. Such thoughts made the gardevoir fearful of their chasing after her to learn of her identity, but she forced herself to swallow them, merely following behind the gallade and averting her eyes from theirs. She no longer wanted to whine about such things when it was clear by now they were simply excuses for her to use, and she didn’t think Redley would appreciate them any more either. Despite her ambivalent feelings, the gardevoir persevered and remained silent on the matter, preferring instead to make a casual discussion with the gallade.

During their strolling through town, the gardevoir had asked Redley about his list of errands, to which he had replied rather charitably: he was to visit the Market Square first, the mainstay for groceries, which was run by two kecleon brothers by the names of Denny and Vinny. The Market Square itself had numerous vendors which sold their goods, but the entire establishment was run by the Kecleon Brothers, as they had dubbed themselves. In fact, they had their own stall which they sold only the most essential of groceries, including oran and pecha berries as well as apples, retailing at the lowest prices possible without losing business. From time to time, they offered for sale various specialties of seeds, and even more scarcely, they could even offer rarities such as TMs. Those items, however, were priced at higher costs, so much so that only those who were wealthier could afford such luxuries. Redley had no plan to purchase such indulgences; he simply planned to buy oran and pecha berries, refilling his own stock of foodstuffs back at home.

In the meantime, Redley had said, Genevra was free to wander around the various news vendors which was stationed around practically every corner of the rows of merchants in Market Square. Some newspapers and other publications were printed for free distribution, but some others required to be bought for. For this, the gallade supplied the gardevoir a decent sum of poké, the currency which the town used, which Genevra graciously accepted. It would certainly be enough for her to purchase what interested her, and already, the gardevoir was wondering how to wisely use the grant given to her.

Afterwards, with newly bought goods in hand, they were to pay a visit to the Exploration Federation, where the gallade was to discuss potential plans with the guidance of Dr. Peyton to form a one-man exploration team. Of course, Redley hadn’t spoken to Genevra of the details about the actual plan itself, but upon hearing the mention of what she believed was the gallade’s employment agency, she assumed that this was a business-related matter which she had no matter in, and so she merely went along with the gallade’s explanation: “It’s only a meeting with the director of Exploration Federation.” During then, Genevra was free to wait for him, or, as Redley had correctly presumed of her active personality, she could return to Redley’s home first to bury herself into her research.

As Redley and Genevra finished their conversation, they walked down a slightly sloping road, it seemed to them that such plans seemed easy to adhere to, enough so that they did not need to acknowledge it aloud with words. It was precise timing, too, for as they reached the end of the road, it gave way to an open space that eventually led to the heart of Treasure Town: within their immediate view was the Market Square teeming with pokémon of all kinds, each and every one making their way back and forth along the lines of stalls. In the further distance was a small quartet performing live music comprised of four kricketune, situated on an upraised platform in front of the bell tower, the melodies and harmonies of their music flowing back and forth into the sounds of the market. Scents of fried and grilled foods filled the air, with the smell of smoke trailing behind, all virtually indistinguishable from each other as they blended into one another.

At their arrival, the gardevoir had paused for a moment to take in the sight, at once astounded and daunted by the sheer amount of movement before her. Her senses were overwhelmed with the volume of information she had to take in, and she could only blink in shock at the life of the city before her. Redley, however, did not share her feelings. He simply continued walking onwards, assuming the gardevoir was following behind as she was accustomed to doing. Soon, though, he noticed in question that Genevra was not behind at all, and turning around to find where she was, he was met with the gardevoir’s expression of absolute amazement. Seeing this made the gallade think to himself, _She makes it seem as if everything is a wonder around her_. And how could that be when she had a sharply sarcastic mouth, always (at least on the surface) unimpressed with those around her?

The gallade very nearly called out Genevra’s name for her attention when a sudden and short gust of wind attacked the gallade and gardevoir ferociously. Accompanying this was a barbaric mixture of toxic gas and a stink bomb, the smell revolting enough to send plants in proximity wilting and withering away. Bystanders witnessing the assault gave expressions of disapproval and protest, one even crying out, “My beloved plants!” Simultaneously, Redley and Genevra coughed, both covering their noses and mouths with their hands and attempting to see through the miasmic haze. Though they could not see the perpetrators of this unwelcome offense, they were greeted with gleeful cackling from a trio of voices.

“Greetings, Bounty Hunter Redley. Or should I say, ex-Bounty Hunter Redley!”

At this wounding remark, the gallade snapped his head to the direction he heard the voice. An aggressive jolt coursed through Redley, and he resisted the urge to dart out of the haze and recklessly attack the pokémon who addressed him.

“How’s Day One of unemployment goin’ for ya?” A different voice tempted Redley’s violence this time.

“Ya know, now that I think about it, I wonder if that means we can report to the Doc himself about your little theft a couple of weeks ago,” the first voice said in addition to the second.

“Chaw-haw-haw!” This was plainly the most dominant voice out of all three, his sound as raspy as a “Enough, boys. We’ve made our entrance.”

Thankfully, the noxious haze of gas and stink began to fade away now, revealing three figures known well to Redley: Wilben the Weezing, Gare the Golbat, and Senler the Skuntank. Genevra recognized two of the pokémon, having only encountered Wilben and Gare; Senler was still a stranger.

“And greetings to the pretty Missus here,” Senler said with mock chivalry, bowing his head once to the floor. Then, the skuntank sneered. “I’ve heard much about you from my boys here.”

Naturally, the gardevoir did not find this flattering in any manner at all. Saying nothing, she merely inched closer to Redley, somewhat aware that if the trio of pokémon before them were to prepare another attack, teaming up with him would be better than fighting back one on one.

“What do you want?” Redley demanded, though it was discernable to everyone that his voice was shaking ever so slightly at the confrontation.

“Oh, not much, really,” Senler answered coolly with a despicable sing-song voice. “I came here to give you a fair warning about certain things. You know fully well of what they are.”

“Do I really?” Redley shot back, in disbelief that Senler would assume such knowledge of the gallade.

A jarringly loud laugh erupted from the skuntank. “Don’t play dumb with me. You _know_ what they are.”

It could have been anything Senler was referring to, Redley thought hurriedly. In his mind came quick flashes of the possibilities: was it the relic fragment? The battle they had only the day before yesterday? Or a combination of the both? And more worriedly, could it be that they were seriously planning to report to the administrators of Exploration Federation about everything that had happened? With the anxiety settling deeper into the gallade, he became aware that his best effort to put on a poker face was not working as effectively as he had hoped.

“And anyhow, we’re generous enough to not say anything about what’s happened yet. But should you get in _our_ way again… Well, let’s say the odds are _not_ in your favor, especially after what’s happened with your position at Exploration Federation.” The ridiculously exaggerated emphasis of Senler’s words made Redley bristle.

“Weh-heh-heh, at least we didn’t slack off our work, right Chief?”

“Whoa-ho-ho, spot on, Gare!”

The entire time the provocative exchange between Redley and the trio happened, Genevra could only stand there and watch the abrasive dialogue unfurl itself. Undoubtedly there were questions which sent the gardevoir into a bout of confusion, but she astutely decided not to say a single word.

Before any more of their taunting could continue, a shrill voice called out from the side. “That’s quite enough, you fools!”

Another sudden and short outburst of wind swirled away the remaining noxious gas and stink. With its going away came a much more pleasing and refreshing scent, tinted with the sweet smell of lavender and a piquant fuse of lemon and orange. Turning to see the intruder of their conflict, an irate bayleef wearing a garland necklace of pure white blossoms stood as though ready to battle. She certainly had no qualms to intervene with the confrontation, feeling duly infuriated at the circumstance.

“If you’re going to fight, take it away from the Market Place, especially away from _my_ stall!” the bayleef stormed on. “I’ll even report you to the Magnezone Police Department for vandalism against me!”


	6. On the Wings of a Dragon, Part II

to a conquering of spacetime chapter in progress / wip


	7. The True Story of Redley

to a conquering of spacetime chapter in progress / wip


	8. In Preparation of an Unaccustomed Undertaking

to a conquering of spacetime chapter in progress / wip


	9. Where Bonds Grow Deeper into Veracity, Part I

to a conquering of spacetime chapter in progress / wip


	10. Where Bonds Grow Deeper into Veracity, Part II

to a conquering of spacetime chapter in progress / wip


	11. Dawning of Distinct Recognitions

to a conquering of spacetime chapter in progress / wip


	12. After the Rain, the Light Only Shines

Chapter 12: After the Rain, the Light Only Shines

The coffee was of a typical house blend stir, brewed with quality vanilla cream to brighten its taste. Kept in plain white cups, one might have thought that the coffee was only secondary and undistinguished, but upon first sip of the especial drink, they would have to be easily enlightened to understand that Spinda's coffee had a true delicacy only available in the drink itself. It was the kind of coffee to easily prompt epicureans to declare they would never settle for anything less for as long as they would live, and certainly, for the time yet to come, Spinda's coffee would become a classic cultural trademark of Treasure Town.

Dr. Hypno walked into the room carrying two cups of searing hot coffee in each hand. She had sensed that perhaps something had been happening between Genevra and Redley — there was a noticeable atmosphere of unresolved tension — but whatever it happened to be, she was in no place or position to judge their situation. The Pokémon was glad, however, to give both the Gardevoir and the Gallade a drink to calm their selves over. After all, a drink could never hurt in helping to ease stress; it could only benefit.

The Seekers thanked her for the coffee. Genevra questioned when she would be released, to which Dr. Hypno replied anytime she was feeling comfortable enough to stand on her own feet.

"I do recommend some treatment for that retrograde memory loss of yours if you'd like to leave now," Dr. Hypno said. "That is, if you'd like to spare your head from experiencing more pain."

"A treatment?" Genevra asked, intrigued. Redley remained silent, knowing he had no right to stop the Gardevoir from regaining her memory.

"I won't force it upon you," the doctor said, and indicated her signature, silver pendulum. "I specialize in treating memory losses for Pokémon. I can offer a hypnosis session in which you can regain your memory from the past. Of course, I'll have to test you first and see what you do remember and what you don't. Like I said, it's all up to you."

Hypnotism seemed to be a foreign and strange treatment; the Gardevoir was unaccustomed of working with such a medication. "May I think about it?" Genevra asked.

"Of course," Dr. Hypno said, understanding the Pokémon. "Take your time. Meanwhile, I'll have to get going to check up on another patient, but if you'd like to leave soon, just check out at the receptionist's desk."

Both Seekers nodded, Redley's nod more unsecure and lagging compared to Genevra's coordinated nod. Dr. Hypno left the room, once again giving both Pokémon an atmosphere of uneasy silence.

Genevra took the first sip of the hot coffee in her hand, drinking in the perfect bittersweet taste of Spinda's sample. It was warm and inviting, for it was the kind of drink that was meant to be shared with others; it could only bring more happiness and content when shared. She smiled quietly at the taste in her mouth, promptly glancing over to Redley to inform him of her satisfaction of the coffee.

The Gallade's eyes were blurred and unfocused, staring out into some distant, invisible oblivion. He took no notice of the coffee he was holding in his hand; his mind was clearly distracted by restless, tumultuous thoughts more than ever before. The Gardevoir became fully conscious that something was occupying her partner's head, and only caring for him, she was determined to help resolve the tensity between them.

"Redley," Genevra said, her voice concerned.

The Gallade looked at his partner, aware that the Gardevoir had noticed his trouble. There was no doubt: Genevra would discover the truth.

"I'm okay," the Gallade said, shifting his head from left to right. "Just… I'm okay."

Redley was not okay.

"I'll… I'll be back in a bit." The Gallade hurriedly made his way to the entrance of the room, leaving behind a confused Gardevoir as he exited to the hallway.

"Redley!" Genevra called, attempting to remove the bed sheets off of her. She was stopped, however, when her head started aching again. The Gardevoir released a grunt of pain, holding her head while keeping her coffee from spilling over. Unable to follow her partner, she kept herself on the bed, growing even more bewildered and frustrated at Redley's sudden actions.

 _What's going on with him?_  Genevra thought.

A heavy interval of time advanced afterwards, the denseness creating an ambience perfect for deep contemplation. Genevra was left with her own thoughts, attempting efforts to understand whatever was charging inside Redley's head. Had he been worried about her when she fainted in his arms? Did he want to (Genevra blushed as she was thinking of this) confess his feelings for her? The logic of possibilities seemed laborious to keep consistent; belaboring over the same feasibilities of Redley's true thoughts only made the Gardevoir's head hurt more than it needed to. Temporarily retreating from thinking, she went back to drinking her coffee, restraining herself from using her head too much.

High-pitched screams emanated from the lobby, echoing sinisterly in the hallway. Instantly, several doctors and other Pokémon looked out of the rooms, wondering what the situation could be, eager to find out.

"IT'S  _HIM_!" a female voice shouted, crazily trampling around, her footsteps audible. "HE'S HERE! LOCK DOWN THE HOSPITAL!"

Gasps and murmurs sprouted suddenly, unusually fast and worrisome as flowers unnaturally blooming in the dead of a cold winter's night.

"IT REALLY IS  _HIM_!" another male voice screamed, creating a chaos of clamor and fear.

Pokémon scattered around in disorder, equivalent of Durant besprinkling into all directions from a predacious Heatmor. Many patients were carried amongst one another, jittering madly as they tried to bring all to safety from the enemy.

" _Where is she?!_ " a deep, guttural voice demanded.

" _Idunnowhoyou'retalking_ —"

Another scream followed, the sound of a body dropping uncomfortably onto the floor.

Genevra lifted herself from the bed, the instinct of survival grasping hold of her. The coffee spilled in anxiety, staining the bed sheets, spilling onto the floor. Her mind went into a full-blown panic, adrenaline pumping in excessive amounts as she desperately searched for an escape. Many Pokémon were crowding the hallway, pushing themselves against each other into a wild, collective mass of squished bodies. A thought of Redley flashed through Genevra's mind, though she was sure that the Gallade could take care of himself should the predator come to attack her partner.

Searching for another alternative, the Gardevoir turned her head to the window. It was barred, two wooden poles forming the shape of a plus sign, durably built in between the window edges. It was inconveniently higher than Genevra wished it would be, but it was better than nothing. Quickly summoning an Energy Ball, she destroyed the window bars, throwing herself over the window to safety. The rain began soaking onto the Gardevoir as she landed on unsteady footing, her knees instantly stained from the wet mud on the ground. Yes, she was safe, even if she was wet from the rain and dirty from the mud. She was safe.

Or so she thought.

" _There_  you are!"

Genevra slowly turned herself around, discovering a Pokémon holding the illusion of a nefarious and malicious atmosphere before her.

_Oh, Arceus—_

* * *

Moments before the enemy had placed himself right in front of Genevra, alarms at the Magnezone Police Department were ringing at an ear-splitting volume, carrying a weight heavier than an Exploud's shout. The alarm was the highest priority level of all emergency alarms, the devil tri-tone of the musical intervals blaring unapologetically to give a cold and alert dissonance to all who had ears. Electricity crackled amongst the entire hybrid Steel and Electric-Types, the worry only seeping deeper into their conscious.

"ZZZT! DARKRAI HAS APPEARED! ZZZT! I REPEAT,  _DARKRAI IS HERE!_ " the intercom bellowed through the horns around the department.

"Zzzt! He's invaded Treasure Town and injured some citizens! Zzzt!"

"Zzzt! We're also getting reports he's attacking Pokémon in the Treasure Town Hospital! Zzzt!"

Elsewhere, the chaos of the dilemma had spread throughout the collective community of Treasure Town. All shops were busying themselves, their owners closing up their tents as they took shelter from the enemy that could only provoke fear, never allowing them to relax even a single muscle for a second. By now, the rain was pouring unsympathetically; it felt as if bullets were pelting through the air, thwacking on everything in their way, making audible  _clacks_  on rooftops. There was no Treasure Town citizen to be seen in sight; only a swath of Pokémon near the Treasure Town Hospital was seen huddling in fear before the terror of Darkrai.

The Guardian of the Edge of the Universe floated ominously before the paralyzed Gardevoir, finally pleased that he had completed a round of chasing his enemies. All there would be left after he finished her would be Grovyle and Celebi. Surely, everything would be restored to peace by then.

He gave no time to Genevra; instantly, Darkrai prepared a Shadow Ball, landing cruelly on the Gardevoir. She dropped to the ground, her hands meeting the wet dirt as she coughed, forcing herself to straighten up.

"Judgment to those who dare disturb the harmonies of the Universe!" Darkrai shouted callously, preparing another Shadow Ball to the Gardevoir.

Genevra's heart pumped wildly, struggling to keep hold of herself. With all she could muster, she instinctively summoned a Fairy Wind, the air clumsily forming into uneven clots of spherical shape. The attempt was pathetic; her Fairy Wind was terribly designed. Darkrai was able to dodge her attempt at counterpoint, easily sneaking up from behind to finish bombing the Shadow Ball to the Gardevoir. She fell to the floor again, her body weakening even further from the impact.

"Damn," she muttered, harshly coughing as her throat began burning. The pain was seeping swiftly into her entire body, and she was unable to pick herself up again.

Darkrai had foremost senses in identifying Pokémon. Suddenly, he could feel the presence of a Gallade running towards him, already holding a prepared move. The Guardian disappeared into the shadows once more, Redley's Leaf Blade now defective. Before the Gallade was even given the chance to prepare another move, Darkrai attacked Redley from behind with a Hypnosis.

Dodging the move by a hair, the Gallade hurriedly prepared another Leaf Blade, clumsily slicing Darkrai through his ghostly body with his blade. Darkrai recoiled, surprised at his attack as a hand gripped to his sides at the wound.

 _The Gallade must be her mate,_  he thought.  _How dare he!_

"Do you know who she is?!" Darkrai shouted, pointing coldly to the lying Gardevoir as she was breathing heavily.

Redley's heartbeat increased, angry at Darkrai's sudden question. "There's no reason for her to get hurt! What are you trying to do?"

"She needs to  _die_ ," Darkrai said with murderous intent.

At this, Genevra's heart stopped for a moment in time, attempting to grapple a comprehension of what she heard.

"She isn't yours, nor will she ever be! How could you give yourself to her?!" the Guardian raged on.

The Gallade's emotions grappled onto him, choking Redley as he said, "I'm her partner, and I'll protect her no matter what it takes!"

"…Do you know what she's done to this world?" Darkrai looked at Redley calmly, his quieter voice seething out a more dangerous tone. "She does  _not_  belong here! Removing her from this world is the only way to save this world from destruction! To save this Universe from destruction! Move out of my way unless you want to  _die with her_!"

Redley flinched at the prospect of dying; after all that time he had spent with Genevra, even if it was only for a few days, he knew that he loved her and couldn't give himself to anyone else. The Gallade tightened himself, preparing for another move.

The Guardian quickly formulated a plan; the Gallade was clearly protective of the Gardevoir. There wouldn't be any other way in killing the Gardevoir unless the Gallade was cleared first. Darkrai was candid in not wanting to kill Redley, but if certain steps were taken, then perhaps Genevra's execution would be done without having to harm the Gallade.

"It's amusing to see how much you're willing to protect her," Darkrai taunted the Gallade, cleanly dodging another Leaf Blade. "But the truth is, she  _isn't_  yours. She  _deserves_  to lose her life!"

Redley kept silent, wondering what Darkrai's intention could be. He quickly formed another Leaf Blade, but it was missed as Darkrai slid into the shadows once again. The emotions grappled onto the Gallade even further, bringing his mind into an even bigger state of panic.

 _I couldn't even talk to Genevra about my feelings earlier,_  Redley thought wildly, his senses desperately analyzing the reality around him.  _If I can't even talk to her freely about my fears of losing her, how can I be worthy of her? How can I even consider that we belong with each other if I can't confront her with my thoughts?_

"Redley!" Genevra shouted, her voice hoarse but effective. "Behind you!"

The Gallade swiveled around, his attention brought to the Gardevoir. Between Redley and Genevra, Darkrai floated ominously, slamming two Shadow Balls to both Pokémon on opposite ends.

Genevra fell to the ground again, her conscious hanging on a thin, brittle thread. Redley struggled, supported by his arms against the ground. Darkrai loomed over the Gardevoir, preparing the final move that would finish the Gardevoir once and for all.

Suddenly enraged, Redley swiftly stood up, hastening even further in sharp speed that was enough to rival that of an expert samurai's sword as he headed for Darkrai. Where this energy came from, perhaps those familiar with wandering minds would comprehend that the Gallade's love for Genevra activated, manifesting itself as an energy once concealed, ready to protect the Gardevoir from as much harm as there could be done.

Redley was swift; his speed managed to surprise Darkrai. The Guardian turned around with a look of shock, his body open to the Gallade's next attack.

"Genevra may not be mine, but she deserves to live!" Redley declared as if he were the most valiant warrior alive. "Even if we can't be with each other, I won't let you take her life!"

Redley's Leaf Blade sliced through Darkrai's body with a knife-edge precision, leaving Darkrai confused at the sudden attack. There was no pain; indeed, there was no pain. The Gallade had attacked him so cleanly that Darkrai could not feel the initial pain. But then, a shadowy black liquid began dripping from Darkrai's side, echoing and melding like that of smoke trails disintegrating in the air. Darkrai stumbled back, keeping his distance from the Gallade.

"Genevra has no reason to die," Redley went on, breathing heavily as he stayed close by to his partner. "If you're going to take  _anyone_ ' _s_  life, it should be mine! If anyone deserves to lose their own life, it should be me! Maybe I don't deserve her after all!  _In fact, I don't deserve her anyway!_ "

Genevra's eyes shot wide open; she jolted from the Gallade's sudden statement. A turbulent cadence of emotions ignited within her, and she glanced at Redley, who looked very much like a sacrificial hero.

Darkrai stood where he was. The Gallade's earlier move had taken a heavy toll on him, and he found it difficult for him to move as acutely as before.

"Genevra," Redley said quietly, the rain dropping on him, creating the atmosphere of a true warrior. "Run away from here, please. All I want for you is to be safe."

The Gardevoir curled her fingers into a fist. How could she move? Even attempting to speak seemed impossible, and all she could make were meager whimpers. Something sour stung her eyes, and the familiar friction of the first tears slid down her cheeks.

"I have no choice but to kill the both of you, then, don't I?" Darkai muttered, taking another breath. He charged straight for the Gallade as if he were an entitative army going against the wall of Spartan warriors.

"Please, Genevra," Redley urged, his eyes focused on Darkrai. "You should leave…"

"…Redley…" Genevra whispered, her voice stertorous. She struggled to even rise with her hands, the emotion clutching onto her like gravity intensified, leaving her hardly any space to breathe with ease.

Darkrai attacked the Gallade with another Shadow Ball; Redley accepted the attack, preparing another Leaf Blade in turn. A continuous exchange of attacks fired between the two Pokémon, leaving a stunned Genevra watching the scene play itself before her.

_How could you, Redley… How could you?!_

Genevra wanted to battle, she wanted to rise up and prepare the most powerful of Fairy Winds the world had ever witnessed, she wanted to bring herself to power and show the capability she had in defeating even a legendary Pokémon like Darkrai. And yet, she only weakened, as if she was melting to the ground, unable to support herself, like a helpless tree pulled out from the ground, its roots bared before the sky.

"Take my life!" Redley asserted before the Guardian. "If you need to take a life, take mine!"

 _Redley, you_ idiot _!_

Darkrai finally saw his opening; with a nervously abrupt thrust of an arm, he landed a Hypnosis on the Gallade, followed by an expeditious Dark Void, sending the fencer into an unconscious slumber. The Guardian proceeded, repeatedly attacking the Gallade with a plethora of Shadow Balls, redolent of a repetitive machine gun ruthless to the enemy.

" _Redley!_ " Genevra screamed, her volume intense. Her heartbeat increased, pounding with ferocity that grew out of control with every moment of time passing. She had to stop Darkrai, or else Redley would truly be—

_Dead._

"Stop right there!" a familiar, feminine voice shouted.

The attention turned to three figures; the three females of Team Charm had arrived, giving themselves a righteous spotlight. Lopunny took the lead, her facial expression filled with an honorable determination to stop the enemy. Medicham and Gardevoir stood behind, mirroring the Lopunny's feelings.

Darkrai realized that he was improvident of Team Charm; his attacks to Redley stopped as he turned around to find the first-rate exploration team stand before him. He muttered an illicit curse, angered at the sudden change of movement.

"That's no way to treat fellow Pokémon," Lopunny continued, ready to prepare a Hi Jump Kick to the shadowy Pokémon. "Girls, prepare the Team Charm combo!"

With expertly choreographed moves, the three prepared their attacks smoothly. Gardevoir started first, sending a vivid Dazzling Gleam into the Darkrai's way before he could even move. It sent the Guardian flying far away from Redley, only allowing him a second in trying to preserve himself. Lopunny and Medicham attacked simultaneously en suite, a double Hi Jump Kick slamming into the Guardian. Darkrai released a gasp of pain, the sheer capacity of their super-effectiveness barging inside his anatomy.

 _If I stay here any longer, I'll die,_  Darkrai thought.  _Best to leave now._

He was severely weakened; it would take a considerable amount of time before he could show himself as a healthy Pokémon to the world. Mustering all that he could, Darkrai disintegrated into the shadows one last time, quickly calculating an escape route. He would attack again, but it would take some time before he could be capable of doing so.

The battle was finished.

"And don't you  _dare_ come back!" Lopunny shouted her warning, the seriousness of her face strict and stern.

Rain continued pouring down, creating a multitude of accents as it landed on buildings, forming the soft shapes of tenutos against all Pokémon under the symphonic precipitation. The sound in the atmosphere was deafening; it was soaked with a silent, unresolved stress filled with dissonance and alien augmentation. The music was at the height of full tension and absolute climax, only desperate and yearning for a harmonious resolution that would ring with the cosmos.

As the disappearance of Darkrai suddenly filled Genevra with an abundance of seemingly untraced energy, the Gardevoir picked herself up — inexplicably stained with mud and wet with water. Heaving shallow breaths, she stumbled her way to Redley, determined to wake him up from the slumber.

"Redley, you idiot," she muttered incomprehensibly, the words only audible to her. "You idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot… How could you…?!"

More tears poured from her eyes as she collapsed before the sleeping Gallade. With a heavy thrust, she put her hands against his shoulders, preparing her next movements.

"Redley!" Genevra shouted to the Gallade, shaking him. "For the love of Arceus,  _wake up_!  _Wake up! Wake up and tell me that what you said earlier wasn't true! WAKE UP!_ "

The Gardevoir's tears splattered pitifully against Redley's chest, the gentle warmness of her own raindrops providing a blunt contrast to the mildly cold rain. The Gallade stirred, flickering open his eyes. Before his vision, he saw a weeping Gardevoir, curled with tension as she continued crying.

"…Genevra…"

The Gardevoir looked to the Gallade, an expression of surprise taking hold of her face.

Suddenly—

" _YOU IDIOT!_ "

Redley returned an even more surprised expression, baffled at Genevra's outburst.

"Tell me what you said earlier wasn't true!"

The Gallade stuttered. "Wh-What?"

"Even if Darkrai killed you, he would have killed me too!" Genevra raged as if she were the eyewall of a tempestuous hurricane. "You sounded like you were ready for suicide! Even if I die, you should go on living! Don't throw your life away! Remember all that we did? Saving Azurill and Spoink? Weren't you in the least happy when we rescued Spoink's life? When we got back his Pearl so he could live on? When we saved little Azurill and returned him with Marill so that they could go back to take care of their sick mother because they didn't want her to die? Were you  _not_  happy? And what makes you think you're not worthy of life?! What makes you think you don't deserve to live? That you don't deserve to have a life? Why would you want to throw out your own  _life_?!"

Redley looked at Genevra in utter surprise, a new set of feelings swelling within him. The Gardevoir was not done with her rage.

"I don't understand! After all that time we spent together, I thought you were looking forward to the future! I thought you wanted to solve the mystery to your Relic Fragment! And I thought you wanted to be a team with me and be an exploration team! That's tons times better than sulking around thinking about suicide! And you know what? There's  _absolutely nothing_  worthy about that! How could you forget our goal so easily? We're a team! We do things together! We're partners! We're together, and we can't be separated because we're  _Team_   _Seekers_! How could you even say that you're not worthy of me? Of course you're worthy of me! If anything, I feel that  _I'm_  the one who's not worthy of you! You have all the worth in the world! You have a life you can take pride in! At least you're not the one who forgot her past life and couldn't even remember anything but her own name! You, Redley, of all Pokémon, how could you say all of that? Was all of that you said really true?  _Tell me, you idiot! Tell me no!_ "

Genevra wept, the tears streaming down her face as they continued splattering onto Redley. The Gallade could only stare at her in shock; he had no idea how to respond, or rather, if he could respond at all.

"You even said that you were my partner, too," the Gardevoir continued, her voice much weaker than before. It was filled with hoarseness only available as an aftermath following in position of having screamed in an emotional rampage. "And… and you said you would protect me, no matter what it takes…"

Her tears poured on, though Genevra attempted to wipe them off with a hand. Her heart was beating fiercely with inexperienced conflict of emotion. In that single moment of space and time, all the Gardevoir wanted was to hear Redley say that everything he said wasn't true, and that he was worthy, worthy of all the world had to offer because he was alive, yes, he was alive, so alive to feel the beauty that only this world could only offer. He was her partner, they were in an exploration team, and though the time hadn't been long at all, they were very much in love with each other. No, he wouldn't throw out his own life, and even if they were ever in another life-threatening situation, the protection would be purely done for complete, authoritarian love for each other.

"I still don't understand," Genevra continued, gasping between breaths and tears. "How…?"

Inviolable love can only render lovers into limitless contradiction of ups and downs and blacks and whites, the opposite spectrums so infinite and various that exhibiting it with any language of illustration would prove near impossible to do. And yet, when lovers are in love, the boundless beauty of contradictions point to only one existence materializing itself in such transcendental luminosity, only belonging to lovers. With no care of surrounding Pokémon, Genevra pushed herself in front of Redley, ashamedly and unashamedly pressing her lips against his, revealing the one thing she found it so much easier to say through her lips instead of words in a language:  _I love you._

The Gallade still could not respond naturally, let alone respond to a sudden kiss of the Gardevoir he loved so much. A lightning bolt of surprise hit him — Genevra, the Gardevoir he fell in love with on the first day they met at the sunset, was kissing him. Genevra, the Gardevoir who had agreed to form an exploration team with him and gave their team name,  _Seekers_ , was kissing him. Genevra, the Gardevoir who understood and gave himself to and entrusted her with his depressing and suicidal backstory, was kissing him. Genevra, the Gardevoir who cared for him over his arm because of Ariados poison, was kissing him. Genevra, the Gardevoir he was so afraid of losing because of Gallade from Team Raider, who also fell for Genevra, was kissing him. Genevra, the Gardevoir he had carried the previous night after their long exam was over and slept next to, was kissing him. Genevra, the Gardevoir he was so afraid of losing because she had regained a fraction of her memory, and thought she would go back to her own life, was  _kissing him_.

Yes, they were indeed kissing.

As if on perfect timing, Genevra forcefully pulled herself away from the Gallade. What seemed to be remaining tears dripped down her cheeks as she muttered something incomprehensible, perhaps fitting enough to call it a sound of embarrassment.

Abruptly, the Gardevoir stood up with ferocious energy, leaving behind the confused Gallade. Her dress swayed with a romantically dramatic agitation, only indicating Genevra's flustered emotion.

_Run, Genevra, just run and run and run and run and run and run until you can't run anymore…_

"Genevra!" Redley called her name, attempting to stand up. He failed to pick himself up, and by the time the Gardevoir was dashing away at an impressive speed, the Gallade knew he couldn't catch up with her.

Somehow, Redley told himself, he would find her later. Somehow.

Elsewhere, Pokémon started surrounding the Gallade, only in concern for his wellbeing. Struggling, he did his best to assure them that he was okay, and that the pain was nothing. Of course, the physical pain he experienced was nothing compared to the rush of emotions that now streamed through, breezing uncontrollably to him like the unforgiving winter wind.

_Genevra… the last thing I want of you is to see you hurt… Or dead. And yet, it seems as if I'm the one causing you the most pain… I didn't want to hurt you, and I never wanted to hurt you, yet just now, it seems that I've hurt you the most…_

__…I did hurt you the most _…__ _

___…I hurt you _…__ _ _

_I'm sorry…_

_I'm sorry…_

_…_

_…I'm sorry._

* * *

"You know, I would've thought they were arguing like some ordinary married couple," Lopunny observed. "If I hadn't known how serious this was, I would've thought they were fighting over something insignificant."

By now, all signs of Darkrai vanished as if they had never been present in the first place. All Pokémon were evacuated safely back into the hospital, with staff workers assembling back into order. Those who had suffered the wrath of Darkrai, especially Redley, were given immediate treatment. The Gallade had collapsed back into unconsciousness after attempting to keep awake, and it was clear that he was in severe condition, more so than Genevra. Team Charm, meanwhile, went back to the Magnezone Police Department, asked to give as much information as they could about Darkrai along with several other witnesses.

Outside the police department, there were high demands of pillory for Darkrai. All the while, ordinary citizens of Treasure Town declared their panegyrics to Team Charm, ultimately approving the team for driving away Darkrai. In fact, many were in favor of requesting the Master Rank exploration team to hunt down Darkrai to finish him once and for all so that no other being would ever get harmed from him ever again.

"Well, judging by their current relationship, they'll get back together eventually," Medicham said in response. Then, she smiled. "Couples always get back together. Actually, I'm kinda jealous. If there's that much conflict in their relationship, then you know that by the end, they'll only get stronger because of it. It's too bad Gallade isn't like that."

Team Charm was sitting in the lobby, resting idly on wooden chairs as the clay dome above them sheltered the three from the last drizzles of the rainstorm.

Lopunny laughed. "Well, with him being a womanizer and whatnot, he's not going to take any relationship seriously. He's not the type to willingly devote himself to others unless they're his team members, after all."

Gardevoir stayed remarkably quiet, still secretly amazed at the scene between Genevra and Redley that happened before. The more she listened to her fellow teammates chat about relationships, the more it irked her; it became evident that she was emotionally unsecure in even witnessing a discussion about love.

"Zzzt! Team Charm!" A Magnemite floated to them, addressing them with utmost respect. "Zzzt! You have our deepest thanks in driving away Darkrai!"

"Oh, of course," Lopunny said graciously. "Anything to protect Treasure Town."

"Zzzt! In any case, there are now Pokémon outside who want you to capture Darkrai and bring him to his end!" the Magnemite continued. "Zzzt! My superiors here have discussed the matter and they would like you to consider it."

"Hm." Lopunny was thoughtful. "You'd need to give us some time to think about it. I don't see anything bad about capturing him, though…" Lopunny turned to her teammates. "Discussion is required before taking further action."

"Zzzt! Of course! I will notify my superiors about this decision!" The Magnemite floated away from the three, returning back into the offices.

"Capturing Darkrai would be nice," Medicham started as the three were alone again, her voice quiet. "However, we still have our own missions to accomplish; do we have the time to make room for another?"

"Wigglytuff said he had the key anyways," Lopunny seemed to agree, remembering their earlier discussion. "Our next discovery could prove historic, and it might top us over Team Raider anyways. It'll show them who's in charge!"

"If I may," Gardevoir started, asking for a turn to speak. Both Medicham and Lopunny nodded.

"I think our plans for future explorations should stop temporarily," Gardevoir said. "Yes, while the key is important, Darkrai is a more important matter. All of the Pokémon outside are scared. Darkrai might be gone now, but it's inevitable he will strike again. Leaving all of the Treasure Town citizens scared over this is not ideal."

"That is true…" Lopunny agreed, sighing. "Well, I personally think that Darkrai needs to be taken care of first. It's more important to consider the wellbeing of others first before our own plans. That's the most important thing about being an exploration team in the first place."

Medicham nodded. "I agree—"

" _Helllloooooo!_ " a cheerful voice said as he barged in the Magnezone Police Department. Guildmaster Wigglytuff shut the wooden door behind him, momentarily bringing in chants of protesting Treasure Town citizens outside. He seemed oblivious to the serious matter outside, though in truth, he was all too aware of what was happening.

"Wigglytuff!" Lopunny started.

"And I see you three are in tip-top condition as ever!" the bunny went on. "It's as if Darkrai barely laid a scratch on you!"

"He didn't, actually," Medicham pointed out. "Redley had already weakened Darkrai to an extent before we came along."

"Oh, well, that doesn't matter." Wigglytuff dismissed Medicham's sentence. "The whole town clearly thinks that  _you_  guys did it anyway. But that's beside the point. I came here for something else!"

"What would that be?" Lopunny inquired, lifting a paw to her chin in curiosity.

"It's in regards to…" Wigglytuff scanned around himself, making sure that he wouldn't be heard. His voice dropped to a spooky whisper, saying, "the  _key_ …"

"What about it?" Gardevoir asked.

"That  _key_ … well, while you were fighting Darkrai, I did some research on my own about it in the library. It turns out that it leads to a very special place, in fact. The key that I hold could actually lead to… one of the secret dungeons where a Holy Time Gear is resting."

The members of Team Charm collectively jolted back in surprise.

"It's all thanks to Gardevoir's neatly organized notes, of course." Wigglytuff nodded thanks to her. "When you gave me a copy of your notes, I was sure that there had to be some kind of puzzle that needed to be solved. Have you gotten anywhere with your notes yet?"

"We barely had any time to stay in the library," Gardevoir pointed out. "The Magnezone Police Department notified us immediately about Darkrai, and we had to leave right away."

"I'd love it if you could continue about your findings, Wigglytuff," Lopunny said. "Though now, I think our plans have to stop temporarily. We've just been asked to hunt for Darkrai and bring him down."

Wigglytuff made an "o" shape with his lips, understanding entirely. "I see."

"In any case, what would we need with a Holy Time Gear in the first place?" Medicham scoffed. "The Holy Time Gears are better off where they are; if anyone pulls them out of their respective places, the world will only collapse into chaos and destruction."

"That is so, my dear Medicham," Wigglytuff said, and then started in rebuttal, "but there is also something that you may find intriguing. While you can leave the Time Gear alone, there is also another hidden treasure that can be opened with the very same key I possess."

"Girls, as soon as we finish taking down Darkrai, we're going for it!" Lopunny declared suddenly, excited at the prospect of a historical relic being discovered in their hands. Her eyes sparkled with a childish intensity, suddenly happy. "Bringing down Darkrai will be a breeze!"

"But," Wigglytuff warned, his voice hinting at danger, "there's a catch."

"There always is!" Lopunny went on, not disheartened by the expected news.

"What it is, I'm not quite sure myself." Wigglytuff tapped his chin. "I don't have enough clues yet to figure it all out, but I will be glad to meet up with you later to discuss about it."

"It's understandable," Lopunny said while nodding, looking at Medicham and Gardevoir. Together, her teammates nodded in unison.

"Also, I have some questions I'd like to ask about Darkrai later." Wigglytuff looked around him again, relieving himself. It took him a considerable amount of effort to mask his familiarity with Darkrai, the Guardian at the Edge of the Universe, whom he once met. He had to put on a façade that he was completely unaccustomed to the Guardian; only the opposite was true. "But I'd like to discuss that later, in my own office at the Guild."

They were only sure that Wigglytuff's intention of wanting to know about Darkrai was for itself. Team Charm did not suspect Wigglytuff's truer intention. To this request, they agreed.

"Well, in any case, I must get back to work! I left Chatot temporarily in charge of the Wigglytuff Guild, but it seems as if the guild gets less work done when I'm gone. I must make sure my guild apprentices stay in top shape! I'll be seeing you later!" Wigglytuff waved goodbye, ready to head out the door.

The three Team Charm members waved goodbye, understanding that the conversation was not over.

* * *

Eventually, the symphony of rain stopped, harking in the warm afternoon rays of golden sunlight. Pokémon outside resumed back to their normal duties, ever slightly more wary of the preceding event with Darkrai, admittedly a little more scared than before. Everyone resumed with a conscious caution, treating others a bit nicer than they ordinarily would. The sudden catastrophic arrival of Darkrai rendered everyone into a collective mass of fear and worry.

Genevra was not very sure where she was; she only had the sense that she was a distance away from Treasure Town, and quite close to the beach, maybe even somewhere near the vicinity of Drenched Bluff. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful plateau. Its distance was as wide as the call of a French horn, the evergreen grass swaying to the gentle wind as natural as the movement of a violinist's bow. Because of the richly fertile soil, it was possible for impossibly beautiful crimson-carmine flowers to grow, creating a dazzling image unparalleled to any other scene of nature for the naked eye. Apertures surrounded the plateau, accenting the amazing height it held close to the open sky.

The Gardevoir was sitting, dizzy, tired, and worn out but still awake, welcoming the loving rays of the sun melt against her skin. Amongst the flowers, she sat down, the surrounding image only enhancing her image of someone seraphic. Granted, there were stains of mud splattered against her, and her various folds of her dress were still soaked with water from the rainstorm. Nonetheless, she didn't mind, and her candid image only heightened for this.

She touched her red horn, grasping to understand the complexities of the movement that had happened to her. Genevra kissed Redley; of course, she had. And while it seemed to be a huge relief of tension, it only seemed to create a bigger tension that she felt guilty of. Why couldn't she have just admitted it aloud like an ordinary Pokémon instead of showing it by kissing him? Like an ordinary, civilized Pokémon, she could have just said,  _Redley, I love you_. She could have just stated it through words. And yet, against what all seemed like the social norm, she went ahead and kissed him instead.

_How could I be so stupid? What if he didn't want it? What if I only made him feel worse in the end?! How could I have done such a thing?!_

The Gardevoir's eyes trailed down to the impossibly beautiful flowers. They began with a deep carmine color, and if eyes were to travel deeper into the center of the wondrous plant, the color would turn into a shade of cardinal, blending into a crimson ruby, finally melding into a brightly pink cerise. Down to the very center of the flower, one could see a very pale shade of carnation pink, though it was so miniscule that it would require a certain amount of concentration to witness the existent beauty of color there.

A warm sensation began tingling within her front horn, only nascent of the many times she would feel the perception. Her intuition rang out in a sonorous tone, only notifying Genevra that someone was here with her, a distance away from where she sat.

_Redley._

The Gardevoir turned around, her eyes taking sight of a familiar Gallade. As if it were the most natural thing to do, Redley released a weak smile, followed with a stumbling wave.

Genevra stood up, trembling quietly but noticeably. She almost tripped, though her determination in standing was unwavering. Instinctively, Redley hastened his speed and ran over to her, only wanting to help her.

"You seem to be doing okay," Genevra said, followed by nervous laughs. Redley stood before her, half-wondering if he would have to hold her from falling down again.

Redley returned a laugh, just as nervous. "I… I was recently released from the hospital. They… they said I was unconscious after you… left…"

Genevra nodded, unsure. "It's… it's good to see you safe…"

A pang of guilt slammed into the Gallade. "I… I wanted to find you and tell you… I'm sorry."

The Gardevoir's expression twisted into a feeling of guilt and embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I let my emotions out of control and I… I didn't know what came over me. I didn't mean to scream at you so loudly like that. I…"

"Genevra," Redley started, sounding weak, though the intention of his next words was strong. "I… I didn't realize how much I had hurt you back there. I only wanted to protect you, but I didn't think that I sounded that suicidal, like you mentioned. You got mad at me because I sounded like I was ready to throw my life away, and… I was ready. If I had to lose my life there in front of Darkrai for you, I would've done it. You were right to be mad. You were right to scream at me."

The Gardevoir blinked back further tears, the muscles on her face straining uncomfortably.  _Don't cry, Genevra. Just let Redley finish talking._

"And I also felt that I wasn't worthy of you, which made me think that maybe you were better off without me. I know that I'm wrong now, but I really believed that then."

"…Why did you have to believe in that? Why would you think you didn't deserve me?"

Redley sighed, his own strain evident in his exhalation. "I thought… I thought we couldn't be with each other because you had your own past. When I met you at the first day… down at the beach, I… I gave myself to you, and asked you if you could be with me, despite that you didn't have any idea of your own past. I felt selfish, and I still do, for asking you to join me for my own personal benefit. I didn't really consider that you would regain your memory, but when you regained your memory today, mentioning a Celebi and a Grovyle, I… I felt convinced that you would go back to your old life and leave me, especially when Darkrai said that… that you weren't mine, and that you'd never be…"

Genevra remained silent, only understanding what Redley had said.

"I was afraid of losing you, too. That was why I… I couldn't talk about it earlier back at the hospital, and I wanted to tell that to you. But when Darkrai came, I felt that I was pushed to confront my own feelings and feel that I was not worthy of you."

The Gardevoir sighed, releasing a small teardrop from an eye. Suddenly, she hugged the Gallade, embracing him tightly as if he was her only lighthouse in the dark, stormy universe they inhabited.

"Even if I gain my memory, Redley," the Gardevoir said, her voice straining to be as comforting as possible, "I'm sure there's a way we can still stay together. Even if I gain my memory, I'm still going to stay with you eventually because I agreed to go with you. If I really wanted to, then maybe I would've asked to go to the hospital to regain my memory first. Instead, I chose to make an exploration team with you and I chose to stay with you. I didn't… I didn't think that regaining part of my memory would hurt you like this…"

The Gallade embraced her in return, feeling excited yet anxious over her confessed feelings.

"I won't… I won't leave you. From where we are now, I don't think I can leave you. No matter what happens, I won't leave you. And… and I'm sorry, for not realizing your feelings earlier. If I had only known, I wouldn't have… I wouldn't have been so mean as to scream to you earlier… I even called you an idiot…"

Redley released a light chuckle. "Well, maybe I deserved to be called an idiot… You know, I think I deserved to be called an idiot for believing something as stupid as being unworthy of life. I am an idiot for giving you so much pain earlier, aren't I?"

Genevra returned his laugh, the bittersweet swirl of amusement and anger swimming within her. "You idiot! Don't say that! Don't say that you deserved to be called an idiot!"

"You just called me an idiot again," Redley pointed out, laughing even more.

"Fine!" Genevra laughed, fulfilling the duet of jubilant glees. "We're both idiots!"

The much-needed wave of relief washed between them, easing the most stressful of tensions between the two. The resolution was slowly coming into their systems with patience and welcome, only glad that they could stay with each other more comfortably than before.

"I do admit though," Genevra started, a kindly subtle hint of worry evident in her voice, "that Darkrai will be after me again."

"Ah… he said something about… saving the universe…" Redley was hesitant to repeat the next words.

Genevra smiled empathetically. "I remember. He said something about saving the universe by destroying me. As if my existence has caused a serious problem."

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take that seriously," Redley admitted, unconsciously hugging her tighter than before.

"I don't know, either," Genevra agreed. "What did I do? How is my existence supposedly destructing the world?"

"Well, I don't think it's supposed to be serious."

The two temporarily released their grasp from each other, allowing a space between them for comfort.

Redley smiled as he said, "In any case, if he comes again, I'll make sure that I'll protect you and that when I do, it'll be for you. I won't call myself unworthy anymore."

"Please don't say that again," Genevra admitted quietly, her eyes slightly wandering away from the Gallade's. "It… it was bad enough when you told me you thought of suicide when your parents died."

Redley smiled, perhaps weakly, only understanding Genevra. He would have to make an effort to act positive and optimistic for the future, rather than sulk around like a depressed being with no respect for life. "I won't."

"And…" Genevra looked away this time, her cheeks blushing profusely, as red as the flowers that stood around them. "And I'm sorry for… for suddenly… kissing you back there."

Redley blushed profusely this time around. "O-oh… Yeah, that… Actually… Er…"

The Gardevoir sighed. "I mean… I lost… I lost control, so… so I'm sorry if that… if that made you feel uncomfortable in any way…"

Redley laughed, feeling awkward as any other being who had suddenly remembered their first kiss. "That… was an unexpected kiss, but… it wasn't so bad."

Genevra buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Arceus. I've made a fool of myself. Maybe I'm the actual idiot here."

"Ah, no, I didn't mean it that way! I mean," the Gallade stammered, completely unsure of himself, "I mean, that was… it wasn't bad! I mean, ack, I can't even talk…"

The Gardevoir shook her head, like a shy bird trying to find steady footing against some flimsy tree branch. "I'm sorry, I'm only making this worse between us. This is getting really corny."

"But, it wasn't… ah, forget it." Redley sighed, smiling to the best that he could. "Here, let's move on to something else."

"…Like what?"

The Gallade bent down, reaching for a flower. Plucking it modestly, he presented it courteously to the Gardevoir, lying quietly on his palm. It seemed to advertise itself as,  _Genevra, take this flower! You know you want to!_

"Redley…" Genevra said in a high-pitched, embarrassed voice, covering her mouth with a hand. "This is… Why?"

"Why?" Redley repeated her question, finding the answer so easy to answer. "Why not?"

 _Now this feels really corny_ , the Gardevoir thought, growing hotter with uneasy abashment. Nevertheless, Genevra took the flower, accepting it as her own.

"It's called the Carmina," Redley said with a sheepishly happy smile, glad that Genevra had taken the flower. "From what I've learned. Everyone in Treasure Town knows it as the Carmina."

"…This feels more romantic than a rose," the Gardevoir whispered quietly. Shyly, she tucked it behind her ear, letting it ornament her own hair.

Hearing this, the Gallade smiled even more. "… Genevra…"

The Gardevoir turned to the Gallade. "Hm?"

"You look… beautiful…"

Genevra giggled, feeling incredulous towards Redley's words. "Me? I'm covered in mud and still wet with rain from earlier. Me? Beautiful? I think not."

"Not that way," Redley protested, laughing along. "You know what I mean, right?"

The Gardevoir nodded, only happy. "I know, Redley. I know."

* * *

_What is love…?_

_Love is when you can't point out_ why  _you like them so much, and it's something you can't describe… Like something… Like something you can't pinpoint about that someone…_

_That's it. That's what love is. You don't know why you love them, you just do. Love is a truth of its own; when you love someone, you love them because you do. You can't give reasons as to why you love them, you love them and that's a reason in itself. It's so immaterial and intangible. To describe physical attributes is to display attraction, but not love. To love is indescribable, and all art that even attempts to describe such beauty and truth shall always fail, because no matter how much a romantic seems to have grasped the truth, as close as the distantly cold sun, the romantic will never grasp it._

_That— is love._

* * *

Hand in hand, the two Seekers took the long walk back to Treasure Town as the day wore on, making it right back at the end of the glowing sunset. By then, a deep violet-blue twilight had taken hold of the sky. For the two lovebirds, everything suddenly seemed more profound and ethereal; the amazing effect of standing by their loved partner only strengthened them together into a higher level of an empyreal bond. For that moment on, the Universe would only feel and acknowledge that there was undoubtedly something of unusual exception that would take place.

But they weren't aware of it — lovers were never aware — they weren't aware of the impending hell arriving.

They didn't know — they never knew until they escaped out of the damned labyrinth.

It was only one axiom, repeatedly proven true an endless amount of times, repeatedly proven true because it was spaceless, timeless, and beginningless.

They would start walking through Hell together.


	13. Tempest at the Harbor of Love, I

Chapter 13: Tempest at the Harbor of Love, I

What was a satisfyingly progressive day for Team Seekers was a disappointedly unsuccessful day for Team Raider.

Seemingly by nature, as if it were a Law of the Universe, there appears to be a needed balance in order to even out the emotional energies of all beings. Whether or not that requirement is actually there happens to be an esoteric secret known to only a number of entities in synchronization with the cosmic scales.

Genevra and Redley had gone through that timeless ritual all lovers had been through: confession for mirrored feelings, the first innocent kiss, resolving content with one another, and the beginning of the unavoidable, unclassifiable journeying through the signifying hell. In that delicate but powerful thread of events, the Universe felt the first, tangible signs of complying with such movement.

Yet primarily, there was something even more important that would have to be dealt with: Lugia's awakening.

When a Legendary Pokémon is stirred from the sleep, it can only bring a single verdict: there is calamity calling forth, demanding a new revolution. Whether the intent is for a progressive righteousness or progressive unjustness is never to be judged from the eye of the beholder unless one reasons with rationality, free of faulty logic. Naturally, radicalism always has its counterpart; the opposing force is to be there so that the timeless tradition of what exists shall hold its own honorability.

The entire process holds true for Lugia Herself, as well as Ho-Oh. Whereas one interpretation states Lugia forewarns the disaster galloping closer from the far realms and Ho-Oh is the assured victory and triumph held within the hearts of many, the reverse is easily another reasonable interpretation. Whatever the situations may be, it is clear that only one prevails in the end, leaving a vast ending, leading to a new movement.

* * *

When the rain started pouring down, and when Gallade spotted a dark, bird-shaped figure in the distance, he knew the battle had begun.

The battle against Lugia revved into full speed and force. With astonishing strength and velocity, the winds soared in strength unrivalled; the dynamics escalating into clashes of disparity and chaos. Raindrops shot down mercilessly against everything in its path, marking tangible traces that determined its bullet-weight intensity against those with sensitive anatomies. The sky hung in dismal and dark shades of gray, refusing to even allow a small string of sunlight to ease the tormented. Not a single soul could tell the time of day, nor could they tell wherever they were in the endless waters around them.

Lugia was of a dark violet color, merging along with the silver of Her abdomen while maintaining a sharp contrast to the scarlet red of Her eyes. When She roared, the ferocious reverberations released was enough to tear apart ear tissues as easily as a raw cloth fabric. The most intimidating feature of Lugia was Her Aura; it was something of primordial, archaic terror that was enough to paralyze others with fear, rendering them incapable of movement.

Yet, Gallade was adamant in keeping hold of the entire brigade; there was nothing he would comply with either Lugia's storm or Lugia Herself. Roserade and Rhyperior were holding just as well; they lived up to their name fairly. Their own, assured confidence gave enough reason for other Pokémon around to believe that indeed, they were going to come back home safely, and that there would be victory for them.

It was easy for the Ghost-Types to lure Lugia onto the battleground; when they had succeeded in completing the first of the many steps, the water around the island swirled into arches, threatening to transform into tornados. Here, the Electric-Types discharged their first plenitude of electricity, amplifying its voltaic peril, its impact shocking Lugia. The first effect seemed to dominate her will but it did only the opposite. With a tremendous flap of her wings, the Ghost-Types staggered back, the Pokémon below on the island feeling water swarming through as if it were ready to swallow the entire isle underwater.

In unison, the Electric-Types fired another abundance of electricity; several other non-Electric-Types began feeling waves of electricity shoot through them as if they were lightning bolts from the surrounding ankle-high water. All Pokémon persevered from the impact, though it prompted many to hope their energy wouldn't be absorbed from having to deal with the electricity.

"Stop the electricity! Let the others start!" Gallade shouted, his expression stern as he quickly scanned the Pokémon around him.

It was impossible for the laws of physics to allow the control of electrical currents to direct itself to a being. Wherever the water would be, even if it touched upon other Pokémon, the electricity would stream through any organism without question. While pure water itself did not conduct electricity very well, the miscellaneous particles of saltwater proved to be either a heavy advantage or a major disadvantage dependant to the one who utilized it. Gallade decided to choose the former; obviously it was supreme in benefiting his plan.

Hearing Gallade's orders, the other Pokémon charged through with their own moves. Blitzes of Power Gems, Ice Beams, and Dark Pulses emitted from the island below, streaming to Lugia as if they were a colorful comet shower flying across a horizon. She recoiled from shock, her wings uselessly flailing to keep herself among the high skies. With a horrendous shriek, She fell down to the sea waters, bringing about multiple waves washing to the island once again.

" _Now!_ " Gallade shouted, commanding the Electric-Types to discharge their attacks in the water.

Deafening crackles of electricity screeched in the air, a ghostly wail emanating from the deep waters, dying away soon after. Her sound seemed to echo into the endless waters beyond, and it must've been a sure sign that Lugia was defeated. An eerie silence followed, the raindrops seemingly weakening against all Pokémon present reminiscent of a misty drizzle.

 _This has to work…_  Gallade thought, his heart pumping wildly.  _This has to work… We can't fail…_

The waves rolled along, the continuous sound of rain showering against the waters.

And then, like the unexpected change in timing of rhythm—

Lugia arose from the waters, spreading Her grand wings, shooting up towards the sky. Rain pelted down against the Pokémon, as harsh and unforgiving as hail the size of river stones. Her scarlet eyes glinted, and She screeched once more.

"Where did  _that come from_?!" various Pokémon complained, a new fear grasping them.

"Keep hold of yourselves!" Gallade commanded, his throat burning from his shout.

His response was left with pessimistic glances of doubt and fear, and before Gallade could order another attack, he was stopped from a wave of sea water surging through the island. The Surf forced water down the throats of many Pokémon, as if feeling the preliminary effects of drowning, unable to reach for air. The Rock-Types were hit hardest; the single Surf had enough force to dismember bits of rock from their anatomy. They screamed out from the sudden attack, instinctively huddling together to keep their remaining bodies intact.

Remembering Gallade's previous orders, the Dark-Types and Ice-Types huddled around the Rock-Types, providing a makeshift wall for their protection. Recognizing that the Ghost-Types were the only plausible weapons at the moment, they charged at Lugia, continuously attacking her. Yet, if She was harmed, She seemed to show no sign of taking any damage. If anything, Lugia was, in reality,  _benefitting_ from the Ghost-Types attacking Her.

 _No way!_  Gallade's eyes widened with fear, not believing the sight before him. How was it possible She not weakened from the Ghost-Types? _This can't be! This isn't real!_

No matter how many times the Ghost-Types relentlessly attacked Lugia, She was not weakening.

Gallade shot a bold look at the Electric-Types, determined of his next words: "Do it! Attack Lugia!"

"But the water and the others—"

" _Do it! NOW!_ "

The island erupted with electricity, sending the amplified voltage into all directions. Every Pokémon present screamed, contributing to a shattering, terrifying dissonance. The pain seared into their bodies, ruthlessly electrocuting Pokémon over and over again.

When the electrical attacks stopped, all Pokémon had nearly collapsed upon the wet sand, allowing the rain to drench against their skins. The water gradually ebbed away from the island, leaving only forthcoming quicksand.

Lugia, however, remained unscathed.

Gallade opened an eye, determined not to yield to the enemy. At first, the vision of Lugia seemed to duplicate within his head, as if he were seeing multiple copies of the Pokémon. When his sight cleared, he slowly came to the bare realization that there was  _nothing_  done to her.

_What… the hell… ? Why… How… She… She should've felt the attacks…!_

Quickly, he looked over to the rest of the Pokémon. Many had already collapsed upon the ground, unable to battle any further. Their lives were dangerously holding on by a thin string, ready to snap at any moment.

_We're… losing… Damn…_

He muttered words of profanity, struggling to keep hold of himself. Rising on one knee, he half-expected Lugia to deliver another Surf, but Her eyes seemed to be focused on a distant aim, as if there was an enemy of far superior importance. Screeching to the skies once again, Lugia soared away, leaving all Pokémon behind on the isle, as if she were saying, _I have no time, nor do I wish to use my time, to waste upon your pathetic little game… Fools._

* * *

The next morning brought another hectic headline from the  _Treasure Town Times_. In bold-printed typography, the words screamed,  _BATTLE LOST AGAINST LUGIA!_ The word about the loss spread swiftly; there were sea Pokémon near the island to witness the battle from a safe distance.

As soon as Lugia had flown away, the seas around the island were quiet and steady, allowing Wailord to swim safely over to the island. All Pokémon were helped upon his back, and without any further sign of delay, everyone abandoned the island, swimming to the nearby Craggy Coast Village.

Casualties were mentioned; there had been at least three unfortunate Rock-Types who lost their lives from the impact of the water. There were Pokémon in critical condition, some too severely affected from the electricity that left parts of their bodies burned. Only a decent handful were sure they would recover, but every Pokémon in the battle had received a permanent scar, physically and mentally.

The article also mentioned the recent thread of oncoming rainstorms due to Lugia's rampage. The Treasure Town skies wouldn't be seeing any blue skies unless Lugia Herself was stopped. The official meteorologist of the town, Castform, said it was highly unlikely for the weather to return to its usual sun-present days until She was gone. For the time being, gray skies would be all Treasure Town was seeing.

As for Lugia's next steps, no one was absolutely positive what would occur following. However, there had been various reports coming from the North of a flying rainbow in the sky, which led many to believe that perhaps Lugia's counterpart, Ho-Oh, had awaken in the event of Her rampage. The sources and reports of these were treated with skepticism, and naturally, as far as doubtful accounts went, this failed to lift the spirits of many. Instead, a bittersweet taste of hope and pessimism only stirred, the latter having a stronger grip on their minds.

Such catastrophe and despondency had shaken the core of the peaceful, cosmopolitan municipal. For as long as they could remember, and as long as the collective history had held for Treasure Town, there had never been such an event as crushing as this one.

* * *

Before Redley or Genevra could even decide what to do for the day, they were bombarded with chatters and discussions of the oncoming disaster and the recent loss from Lugia throughout town. Conveniently, a copy of the  _Treasure Town Times_  were given to the two for them to read at the Kecleon Market; they had made small talk about this with the Kecleon Brothers, and the collective glum and anxious feeling sank into them as they discovered the severity of the events.

Genevra breathed quietly, still shaken over the details she had just read. She closed her eyes, wondering if another vision would take hold of her.

"Genevra," Redley looked at the Gardevoir in concern. "You'll… be okay… right?"

The Gardevoir straightened herself, refusing to let any negative feelings control her. "I'm fine, and I will be fine."

"Still," the Gallade said, looking around the environment. He could see no smiling faces in sight. "There's Lugia's rampage… and then, Darkrai…"

"Darkrai…" Genevra said, as if she were trying to remember something.

"Ah, Darkrai?" an unfamiliar voice said. The two Pokémon turned around to find a Leafeon looking up at the two with an attempted smile. "You two were the ones Darkrai had harmed yesterday, no? You won't have to worry about him. The word is that Team Charm has agreed to hunt down for Darkrai. In fact, Team Charm announced this morning at the Wigglytuff Guild to capture Darkrai."

"They have?" Redley asked.

Leafeon nodded. "They're a capable exploration team; I'm sure they'll know how to stop him. Darkrai did attack you two yesterday, did he not?"

Genevra looked away, remembering yesterday's events. "He did."

Leafeon could sense it was uncomfortable for the two to discuss about Darkrai. In as much of a comforting tone he could speak in, he said, "You won't have to worry about it! Team Charm is a first-rate exploration team, after all. Soon, everything will be back to normal!"

Neither Redley nor Genevra could breathe a sigh of relief just yet, however.

"How do they plan to hunt Darkrai when he could be anywhere?" Genevra asked, doubtful if Team Charm was capable in hunting down the Pokémon.

"Oh, that. Medicham has the wonderful ability to be able to sense auras; when she fought alongside Lopunny and Gardevoir against Darkrai yesterday, she was lucky enough to retain his unique aura and memorize it," Leafeon explained, their faces visibly relaxing. "In fact, this morning where I witnessed Team Charm announce their decision, she said she had a very good idea where Darkrai was, but she wouldn't say where. In any case, I'll have to get going." Leafeon started to turn away, heading towards another direction. "I just wanted to let you know about Team Charm's decision. I'll see you around!"

The two said their goodbyes, leaving only a silence between them that softened their fears.

Redley sighed. "As much as I want Darkrai gone, I still want to know why he is trying to kill you."

"He said… I  _needed_  to die, and that I didn't belong in this world…" Genevra said quietly, making sure that what she said wouldn't capture the ears of nearby Pokémon.

The two were only half-aware that their hands met each others'; it was only a reaffirmation of the unspoken vow from yesterday. The action was quick to grab the attention of nearby Pokémon.

Blushing slightly, Genevra released her hand away from Redley's, not liking the attention. Redley was shocked at the sudden movement, wondering why Genevra had released his hand before he realized the stares from others sinking into his conscious.

"Can we go back to the library again, just for today?" Genevra asked, trying to cool down her cheeks. "I mean, if there isn't anything else you want to do first?"

"Ah, again?" Redley asked. "I don't mind, and I don't think there is anything else we need to do at the moment."

"I want to see if there's anything about Darkrai that I can figure out," Genevra admitted, and then looked at Redley. "Do you… do you happen to know anything about him in general?"

Redley dug back into his memory as far as he could, only responding, "Somewhat. I think I need to fact-check a few things just to be sure."

"Alright, then," Genevra said, sounding resolute. But then, with a sheepish smile to Redley, she added, "I just hope I won't…  _faint_  again."

Redley returned her smile. "Like you said, you'll be fine."

Hearing the confidence in the Gallade's voice, Genevra nodded in acknowledgement. For a moment, she wanted to say thanks to Redley, though she decided against it the last minute. They already loved each other, and it seemed that more words were not necessary.

Together, the Seekers made their way back to the Treasure Town Library, walking closely together.

* * *

"So, you are absolutely sure about this?" Guildmaster Wigglytuff said as he looked at all three members of Team Charm. "You are  _positive_  that your strategy to hunt for Darkrai will work?"

In Guildmaster Wigglytuff's office, the members of Team Charm and Wigglytuff faced each other. Chatot was absent, for the Guildmaster had asked that he stay outside of the office for the matters. It wasn't that there would be anything top-secret discussed, but on this particular moment, Wigglytuff only wanted to be alone with Team Charm. His mind would be at better ease in the first place, and the isolation he needed was much preferred for his thinking process instead of having his subordinate interfere with any unnecessary questions.

"We wouldn't have announced it if we weren't absolutely sure," Medicham said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"As we've said before, the wellbeing of other Pokémon comes first before our victories. That is the duty of an exploration team," Lopunny added, emphasizing the responsibility the members of Team Charm had.

"The key and the dungeon will just have to wait," Gardevoir said coolly.

"There is also the question of Lugia's rampage, however." Wigglytuff pointed to a copy of the daily  _Treasure Town Times_  sitting on his desk. "This has become problematic, and knowing that Team Raider and our temporary army have failed to stop Lugia, would you think you'd be able to do anything?"

Lopunny had an expression of careful and serious consideration upon her face. Being the team leader, she was the best at making efficient, long-term decisions for the entire team. "If our rivals, Team Raider, couldn't even do anything, it's reasonable to conclude that what Lugia can do is far out of our capability." She looked at her teammates, her eyes sliding from Medicham to Gardevoir, who nodded in agreement. "Perhaps the report of Ho-Oh's sighting is not false as presumed, and Lugia's rampage will stop eventually. We still believe Darkrai's capture is necessary, for his threat to attack another fellow Pokémon in Treasure Town is far more likely at this rate instead of Lugia doing any capable harm here."

"Alright, then!" Wigglytuff sang, approving of their decision. Then, he dropped his satisfied façade. His gaze became serious and mature, almost as if his sudden change of mood had cooled the room around them. "Now, about Darkrai yesterday…"

The members of Team Charm looked at each other collectively, wondering about the intention of Wigglytuff's sudden change in expression.

"Well, none of us know everything that happened," Lopunny started. "In fact, all we know is that Darkrai was hunting for Genevra for some reason we don't know."

"The Magnezone Police Department also informed us that they overheard various bits of conversations between Darkrai and Genevra. As I recall, the exact details they caught were that she needed to die, and that she didn't belong here," Medicham included, rolling her eyes in disbelief.

_Bingo._

"She didn't…  _belong_  here?" Wigglytuff repeated.

"It's ridiculous, I know," Lopunny said, annoyed as she rubbed her head in disbelief. "Who does he think he is, anyway? Arceus?"

"Was there anything else he said?" Wigglytuff asked, careful to sound as innocently curious as possible.

"The Magnezone Police mentioned that Darkrai said something about saving the universe," Gardevoir said, catching the last detail.

"So… did he say that getting rid of Genevra was the only way to save the universe?" Wigglytuff asked bluntly, staring at the three Pokémon before him. For a second, his blank, glossy, green eyes seemed to pierce into Team Charms', and momentarily, all three females were frightened by the unexpected stare.

"Yes… I suppose so…?" Lopunny said, sounding hesitant in her half-confident voice. "I mean, if you really wanted to, you can go ask Genevra and Redley themselves since they were there first…"

An eerie silence followed, heightening the tense atmosphere.

Suddenly, Wigglytuff burst out laughing. "Ahahaha! That's so silly! I can't believe Darkrai would make a threat as preposterous as  _that_!"

The three members of Team Charm simultaneously sweatdropped, not sure of how Wigglytuff could switch from intense serious-mindedness to comical silliness. Reluctantly, the three chimed in with Wigglytuff's laughter, sure that it was better than staying quiet and doing nothing at all.

Wigglytuff wiped a tear away from an eye. "Oh, my, Great Dialga, that was hilarious! That must've made my day! I can't recall anything as foolish and absurd as that!" Wigglytuff sighed, straightening himself. "In any case, you need to get going, don't you? Bring back Darkrai and make sure he won't give anyone else any more ridiculous trouble."

"Of course!" Lopunny agreed, relieved Wigglytuff had resumed back to his normal self. "Hopefully, we'll get this over quickly."

"All of you are capable, I'm confident of that," Wigglytuff said, smiling. "Farewell!"

The three females said their goodbyes, sure that they would discuss again the next time they met. Together, they excused themselves out of the Wigglytuff's office, saying their final goodbyes to everyone present in the guild along the way to the entrance. Wishes and blesses of good luck were given to them, and all members of Team Charm thanked them kindly.

Eventually, after several preparations, Team Charm was at the Crossroads around noon, duly prepared for the quest that waited for them. Members of the Magnezone Police Department gave them their final farewell before seeing them off.

Giving Medicham a moment of silence to track Darkrai's aura, Lopunny and Gardevoir waited patiently for their team member. Her deep pink body glowed against the luminescent-blue aura outlining her, and when she finally gained a perception, she opened her eyes, confident of Darkrai's presence.

"I've found him," Medicham said, releasing her meditative state. Looking over to the Wonder Map conveniently held in Gardevoir's hands, she pointed to the area, prompting Lopunny and Gardevoir to understand. It wasn't very far, and from what Medicham knew, he had stayed at the area for a while. She presumed that perhaps he was healing himself, giving the abundance of healing herbs that grew within the vicinity.

With that, the hunt for Darkrai had begun.

* * *

It had been nearly a week since the young members of the exploration team, Team JoyLuck, had returned back to Treasure Town. They consisted of three eager Pokémon, Sandshrew, Shinx, and Nidoran , apprenticing at the Wigglytuff Guild alongside their fellow allies. They were all slightly older than Gible and Mareep, but nonetheless still children, and required the guidance of adults often.

Two particular parents, Sandshrew and Luxray, had been ridden with fear about her child, as well as the welfare of the others. Sandshrew had sent a report about the concern of the exploration team to the Magnezone Police Department, to which they redirected to the bulletin boards in Wigglytuff's Guild. Had it not been for the advent of Lugia's rampage, the job would've been easily accepted by an exploration team of higher caliber. Yet, knowing that even the legendary Team Raider and the temporary army had failed to stop Lugia in Her path, there was no one who would offer their lives to look for the young children. In fact, anyone who would venture out with the chance of getting swept up into Lugia's storm was crazy.

As Sandshrew trudged along impatiently and worriedly near the beach, the familiar electric-feline figure came dashing up, gripping a glass bottle within her mouth. A cork sealed the entrance, protecting the paper message safely tucked within.

"This has to be a message from our children," Luxray said as soon as she released the bottle on the dirt ground. Sandshrew immediately picked it up, uncorking the bottle with her claws. "The name of our children's exploration team is written in here!"

"As far as I know, though, no one is willing to go out in this storm that Lugia is causing," Sandshrew said, her voice pessimistic. "Everyone at the Wigglytuff Guild isn't willing to do this, and Team Charm has already left to capture Darkrai."

"My  _child_  is lost out there! I  _refuse_  to give up his search until I have him!" Luxray stormed. "All of  _our children_ are out there! How could you even think of giving up! What kind of a parent do you take me for?!"

"I only feel the same way!" Sandshrew shot back, angry that Luxray would even think of her as a bad parent in any sort.

"There has to be more exploration teams willing to do this," Luxray went on, trying to keep her voice from getting any more aggressive than it already was.

"Don't forget that there needs to be a Flying-Type or a Water-Type that will sacrifice their lives to actually  _get_  to Surrounded Sea," Sandshrew added, starting to read the letter. She wasn't attempting to be any more pessimistic, but her point had made clear that the odds of recruiting a rescue team to save the children were lower than usual.

_Dear Fellow Exploration Teams:_

_We are Team JoyLuck, an exploration team with Sandshrew, Shinx, and Nidoran_ _apprenticing at the Wigglytuff Guild. Currently, as of last Monday the 2_ _nd_ _, we are trapped on a lone island in Surrounded Sea, and we need a rescue team to save us! The weather has been very rainy for the past few days, and one of us, Sandshrew, has started to wear down from the water. Please save us ASAP! Thank you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Team JoyLuck (Sandshrew, Shinx, Nidoran_ _)_

Luxray began to panic even further, snatching the letter away from Sandshrew's claws into her mouth. "I'm going to ask for Guildmaster Wigglytuff himself to see if there is anything  _he_  can do!" she said, her mouth half-muffled from the paper between her teeth. "I refuse to give up!"

Without any warning, the electric-feline rushed away from Sandshrew, leaving her behind. Soon, she disappeared up into the grand entrance of the stairs leading to Wigglytuff's Guild, prompting Sandshrew to hurry behind her.

* * *

Both Genevra and Redley were faring along well at the Treasure Town Library, both deeply buried in books pertaining to Darkrai, with some half-motivated attention towards the subject of Lugia, as a result of Genevra's curiosity. It was to their luck that Genevra hadn't had any visions attack her mercilessly, and so progress was made without any unusual interruptions.

From what they had gathered so far, Darkrai was capable of inducing nightmares, and that his power rose to its fullest on the nights of new moons. Every once in a while, they were met with a passage in a book that spoke of Darkrai's connection to a mythical island, and of his title as Guardian. He didn't reign the island, or control it as his own territory, but rather, protected it from the outside events surrounding the island, as many sources had stated.

"There used to be a story I learned," Redley started, pointing to the page in a book he held that began the myth of Darkrai, "that long ago, because of his ability to induce powerful nightmares, he became the Guardian of an island. The island itself is really elusive, and there have been exploration teams in the past searching for it, but most blame Darkrai for failing to find its existence. Usually, when they arrive at the area the island is supposedly at, Darkrai comes without any warning and scares them away."

"Is that actually true?" Genevra asked, looking up from her book.

Redley smiled, his face reading,  _I'm-not-really-sure-but-this-is-what-I-know_. "Now that we know about this, I'm almost tempted to say that it actually is. I mean, this isn't a very well-known myth around here, and I only happened to remember it because my mother used to tell me about this. So since not many others know about it, the actual validity of it is skeptical."

"That still doesn't exactly answer anything about why he's trying to get after me," Genevra said, sighing. She looked away from Redley, her voice starting to crack as she said, "I did something wrong… didn't I? What if… what if I did something wrong, or bad, that I don't remember doing now because I… I lost my memory?"

The Gallade looked at Genevra in shock, unable to see the Gardevoir him as anything near bad. Genevra, the kind-hearted Gardevoir who was willing to risk her own life to save other Pokémon, doing something wrong? She had done so much, helping Spoink's life and making sure Azurill was safe. Redley knew other Pokémon she met would testify to her overall goodness; what could she have possibly done to provoke Darkrai to hunt her down?

"There's no way…" Redley started, looking shyly away from the Gardevoir. "There's no way you could've done anything bad. Even if you've lost your memory, your personality can't change before and after the memory loss, and with the way you are now, after having saved Spoink and Azurill and the others…"

The Gardevoir looked at Redley, uncertain in how to respond. She felt her heart swell with emotion at hearing his words, and felt a warm sensation tingle down her body.

"Even though we haven't known each other very long, I know that I've learned a lot with you and from you," Redley went on. "I can't think of anything terrible you could've done that would provoke Darkrai to… to kill you."

Genevra rested a hand upon her chin, looking away. If she had done something bad in the past, and the consequences of that event were serious, she would take her punishment without any complaint. Still, it wasn't any fair to her that she had no idea what she did; how could she possibly accept her death without knowing what she did? She lost her memory, and the idea of having Dr. Hypno hypnotizing her to get her memories back still felt strange.

"Everything feels like a mess…" Genevra said quietly, closing the uninformative book before her. "Knowing that so many things have happened so far, it feels like there are things that I can't do because they are out of my grasp."

Redley looked back at the Gardevoir, noticing her stress. With some timidity, he attempted to smile, and said as soothingly as he could, "Everything will be alright. I… I'm here… for you…"

The Gardevoir turned back to look at the Gallade, slowly returning his smile. "…Redley…"

The entrance door of the library slammed open, prompting many Pokémon within to glare venomously at the intruder. The two lovebirds jolted, as if a stranger had discovered their secret. Quickly, they looked away from each other, hurriedly diving back into their books, worried about whether or not someone had caught them together instead of actually focusing on the words before their eyes.

The Pokémon standing at the door, Girafarig, seemed to feel as if he was immune to the angry patrons, and proceeded to say, " _WhereohwhereohwhereisTeamSeekers? Wigglytuff"_ — here, he wheezed, catching his breath — " _Wigglytuff needs you to do a job! There is a mission he needs you to do!_ "

Instantly, Genevra and Redley looked over to the familiar giraffe. At hearing that their team name was called, they quickly grabbed their belongings, abandoning the open books on a library table as they ran over to Girafarig.

"Ohgoodohgoodohgood!" Girafarig sighed in relief, recognizing the Gardevoir and Gallade he had bumped into the few days earlier. "I've been chasing all over town for you! The guild noticed you hadn't signed out any jobs and so we all knew you were still here in Treasure Town! Wigglytuff asked me to search for you two!"

"Is anything the matter?" Genevra asked, wondering what the urgency was. She half-noticed the agitated stares from Pokémon in the library, and pushed herself and Redley out of the library. The Gallade closed the door behind him, and the two Seekers gave Girafarig their attention.

"There's an exploration team at Surrounded Sea that needs rescuing!" Girafarig said loudly, his hooves testily tapping against the ground. "Let's go!"

Without any warning, Girafarig ran ahead in the direction of the Wigglytuff Guild, leaving Genevra and Redley catching up behind. Soon, they arrived at the Wigglytuff Guild, their next unexpected mission explained to the young but capable exploration team.

* * *

Darkness. Coldness. Lifeless. Emptiness.

In all of the basic, fundamental vocabulary of any language, it is those four words that best describe the Dark Future. Those four words encompass all settings and scenes, emphasizing its cruelty and heartlessness throughout. Wherever one chooses to wander in this desolate, barren world, each and every place they visit may have different tastes and variations in certain details such as how the crooked the trees are, or how hard the rocks may be, or how dark the perpetual night sky is with the aid of only a few, flickering stars; nevertheless, the universality and commonness that threads all places together that is called the Dark Future holds true in those four words alone.

Among the dead, colorless cosmos, the Temporal Tower floated broken and crumpled. Various bits of stone that once joined together to support the tower now hovered in the air frozen and unmoving, completely ignoring the law of gravity. Gnarled trees seemed to grasp the air, as if they wanted to steal the life of others. There was grass, albeit nearly absent and stiff, appearing as if it was coated in a dull brown varnish. Dead flowers scattered throughout, far from being able to be decomposed into the dried soil. Elsewhere, there were occasional Pokémon fearfully dodging from one hiding spot to another in search of food.

In the most intact floor of Temporal Tower, there stayed three Pokémon, all idly sitting away their motionless time. The only things that showed signs of remaining intact and clean were the nests they slept on, and a grand, oval-shaped table that lay grounded in the middle, holding a tattered Wonder Map along with scattered quills and a lone ink bottle.

"Damn it, where is she?" one Pokémon, an immature, perhaps childish, Bisharp complained, smashing a nearby rock with his blades. He was the youngest Pokémon of the group, having been the most recently evolved.

"Patience, Bisharp," another Pokémon, calm, collected and icy, spoke. She was a Froslass, a rare occurrence for Snorunt to evolve since Dawn Stones proved to be extraordinarily scarce especially in the Dark Future. From seemingly out of thin air, she manifested, her ghostly atmosphere cooling the already-cold air. Bisharp shivered, but made no response to the ghost.

"Always playing the kid, tch," the third Pokémon, Dusknoir, scoffed. He was the oldest present, only a few months older than Froslass herself. He was also Primal Dialga's personal assistant, aided with the loyal help of a pack of Sableye. "Learn to grow up."

Bisharp had no trouble retorting back against Dusknoir. Turning around to meet him, he said, "Yeah, right, oldie. As if."

"You expect Zoroark to serve you immediately," Dusknoir said poisonously, shooting a harsh look at the Bisharp, "But she has the right to delay you all she wants."

Bisharp put on a mocking face, imitating Dusknoir's voice. " _She had the right to delay you all she wants_  my ass! Worthless witch couldn't even protect her own children!"

Froslass was not hesitant in delivering a piercing glare to Bisharp. Her hollow gaze seemed to peer into Bisharp's soul, and he froze up noticeably. Slowly, he turned around to meet the ghost, regretting his words.

"You never learn, don't you," Froslass said. It was not a question.

In an attempt to be brave, Bisharp shrugged off her statement, though with some uneasiness. "It was never  _my_  fault in the first place. All of you are dumbasses."

Froslass sighed, her chilly breath floating its way to meet Bisharp's back. The breath was subtle in auditory presence, but its dominant frostiness sharply met Bisharp.

The Bisharp turned around, shouting to Froslass, "What the hell was that for, lady?"

"You're much too hotheaded," Froslass said almost passively, revealing virtually no emotion in her voice. "I'm surprised you can keep yourself so energetic in this cold, desolate world. I wonder how Master Dialga plans to use you."

"Pft. Clearly, I'm superior to you guys. He needs someone with brawns to do the job, unlike all of you, heh," Bisharp bragged. "I was able to kill Zoroark's kits for my own dinner, and I'm surprised Master Dialga hasn't allowed me to eat her yet."

"Oh, here he goes again," Dusknoir said, rolling his eyes. Looking over to the scoundrel he shouted, "You're even lucky you're here with us! Had it not been for  _me_ , or the Sableye, you'd be dead and some other Pokémon would've eaten you! Don't forget we picked you up when your father abandoned you!"

"You freakin' shut up about my father!" Bisharp snarled. He quickly prepared a Guillotine, to which Dusknoir dodged easily, causing Bisharp to knock into a wall of the Temporal Tower. Bits of stones collapsed from the impact. "You know  _nothing_!"

" **If you do not stop your bickering, I will have you** _ **punished**_." Primal Dialga's voice echoed sinisterly from above, seeming to cause Temporal Tower to rumble. It felt as if an earthquake had activated, but the rumbling died away as soon as the sound of his voice disappeared into oblivion.

Dusknoir and Bisharp froze simultaneously, paralyzed at hearing the Master's words. Immediately, they stopped, Bisharp biting his mouth closed as Dusknoir lowered his one eye in shame. Froslass was the only Pokémon who remained unaffected; as usual, she kept cool, not at all frightened from the intimidating threat.

For the rest of the time, only an eerie silence took hold, gripping heavily onto the atmosphere. Bisharp was unable to provoke any more arguments; the fear of having Master Dialga punish him was beyond his capability of controlling it, and so he ungratefully kept his mouth shut.

The silence was broken when Zoroark came back, a patched-up bag slung across her shoulder as her feet stepped quietly against the cold, stone floor. "It seems as if there was an episode here," she said bluntly, eyeing Bisharp expectantly. She knew that somehow, he had started it. Otherwise, the stiff quiet she had noted previously wouldn't have been so noticeable. Sighing, she slung down the bag, revealing its raw, bloody contents of freshly killed Pokémon. "I've finished hunting, you ungrateful ass."

"About time," Bisharp muttered, not bothering with a word of thanks. He walked over to the bag of freshly hunted prey, picking out a random, flimsy piece of meat. "This is pathetic."

"Then how about you go hunting next time?" Zoroark snarled. "It's not my fault hunting is so hard now! What, you expect me to catch a fat, succulent Deerling? Why don't you ask Master Dialga to go back in time and hunt for the meat yourself? In this world, Pokémon with good meat don't even exist anymore!"

"Heh, Master Dialga hasn't even finished the preparations, so yeah, maybe I shouldn't complain," Bisharp taunted with his mouth full, "but you're still pretty worthless."

Had it not been for Primal Dialga's ever-looming presence over the four Pokémon, Zoroark would have sunk her sharp fangs into the Bisharp's fleshy neck. Still, she refrained herself, as she was sure all of her suffering and enduring would pay well off in the end. She swallowed, the bitter taste of saliva shoved down her throat.

A Sableye anxiously stepped down the stairs from above, saying incomprehensible things in a high-pitched tone to Dusknoir. The ghost intuitively understood his language, and began translating for everyone.

"Everyone, Master Dialga is calling for me," Dusknoir said, nodding his head in a quick parting. The Pokémon in the room nodded in return, understanding that Dusknoir was Master Dialga's primary, foremost subordinate.

* * *

Later, he returned, information in hand.

"Master Dialga is almost done preparing the portal to the past to capture Grovyle and Genevra," Dusknoir informed, his voice showing excitement and enthusiasm. "However, there is enough energy for only three Pokémon to go back to the past."

Hearing this, Zoroark felt a new fear grasp hold of her. If only three Pokémon were allowed to go back, there was a chance she would not go back to the past, and she couldn't have that happen. She  _had_  to go back to the past; after all, she had clung onto this hope, and the only reason why she had hope and the will to go on was because she had known of Master Dialga's plan to send Pokémon back in the past in the first place. In fact, when she found out, she knew she had to go back to the past — no matter the cost, even if it meant working as a servant for Master Dialga. She refused to live in this dark, dreary world, and though she had lost everything, her mate and her kits, she would go on surviving in the past, where the sun shined as it did before and where fat, healthy prey never ran out. This was the only way she could live on; Master Dialga  _had_  to let her go back.

"Has Master Dialga said which Pokémon he is choosing to go back, then?" Froslass's cool voice said, speaking as if she were only slightly intrigued. She looked expectantly at Dusknoir.

To this, Dusknoir shook his head no. "Master Dialga is still considering. Obviously, I will be going back to the past since he needs me to execute the plan, but he needs one of us to stay here and capture the elusive Celebi should she try to do anything suspicious."

"Ah, yes," Froslass mused, her icy voice crystal clear. "She is problematic for Master Dialga. It is best for her to be captured."

Zoroark secretly hoped that Froslass would be chosen to stay back; after all, Celebi was a Grass-Psychic Type, and with Froslass' typing, Ice-Ghost, surely it would be a cinch to take down the Pokémon. Yes, there had to be a bigger chance Froslass would stay behind. She would be able to capture Celebi much more easily than Zoroark herself anyways. Perhaps she didn't need to worry at all!

"Celebi has always been problematic for Master Dialga," Dusknoir said, remembering his own personal encounters with the cunning, fairy-like Pokémon. "If she were completely obliterated, then it would make things much easier for Master Dialga. The holes in the spacetime fabric would close itself, thus making it impossible for anyone to travel through time and space."

Trying to keep herself as collected as possible, Zoroark asked, "I don't mean to come off as impatient, but did Master Dialga mention how much more time he would need to complete the portal to the past?"

"I don't know. Unfortunately, there are some flaws in the portal that is being dealt with at the moment, and they are the last things that need to be fixed in order to make the portal flawlessly work. However, these minor flaws pose a big problem. If we leap into the past with the portal right now, we may literally be blown into oblivion; that is, we may have never existed in any point in space or time. It's a consequence much worse than death. Not only that, Master Dialga may be sent into oblivion as well."

Zoroark nodded, understanding this was the only answer she was going to get. Withholding a sigh, she made her way to her nest, prepared to fall into another blank, dreamless sleep.

Bisharp followed, ungracefully collapsing onto his own nest. Being the ruffian he was, he yawned noisily, not bothering to excuse himself. Unsurprisingly, Dusknoir rolled his eye, and he, too, began to yawn. He went over to his own nest, prepared to fall asleep under the skies of perpetual night.

Froslass was the only one who remained awake. She stared at a broken window close to her, noticing its details. The fine, grainy stone dust shone palely under the weak star light from the sky; had there been a moon, there would have been light rainbow sparkles twinkling from the crumbled stone. The triangular cragginess in its borders revealed that indeed once, before the Dark Future now, it had been in a pristine shape of a perfect square, with immaculate mathematical measures that proved its golden existence. With the architecture that stood before Froslass now, however, it was crystal that the Revelation in the past would never tell her if her deducing was correct or not.

Suddenly bored with observing the details of the now-uninteresting window, she looked out the window, looking out the grand view before her field of vision. The forever-dark sky glimmered a number of stars one could count with only two human hands, all weak and elderly. Perhaps those old stars had already died long, long ago, yet they still "twinkled" among the sky because their light still traveled along the fabrics of the Universe. The Universe was weird that way; a star could be dead in one point in space and time, yet from the faraway perspective in another galaxy, on another planet, another soul would think that the star is alive because the star light had just met their eyes. The speed of light was unthinkably fast to an ordinary being, and yet, in the Universe, the speed of light was anything but unthinkably fast.

 _I remember how there used to be a moon in the dark sky too…_  she thought.  _And there was a sun. There used to be something called day and night, but that only existed in my childhood. I loved the moon so much, because I believed that the moon understood me. The moon understood who I was, and no one, not even my parents, nor my other friends, would understand me but the moon…_

_And yet, everything in my childhood must have been an illusion. When the Revelation came, I evolved… and not only did I physically change, I know that my way of thinking changed as well… My childhood love, the moon, might have never existed at all. Did I fall in love with a dream, then? Did I fall in love with a fictional entity? The moon — just a pale gray sphere within my mind, given meaning only to me and no one else?_

Froslass would have given some attention to the vast land below her, but everything looked  _dead_. They had no hope like the flickering stars above her; at least let them be elderly. Alas, it was not meant to be, for the Dark Future brought death to everyone. The most fragile beings of life had been the first to be gone — everything from plants due to the lack of sun, and then the herbivores, all overhunted by starving carnivores. The ground was dead — dead flowers, dead grass, dead rocks, dead soil,  _dead_. The entire landscape was dead — dead mountains, dead hills, dead valleys, dead ruins, dead municipals, dead craters,  _dead_. The only thing that wasn't dead was water; while the water looked dead because of its dark color mirroring the perpetually-black sky, it was actually blue. Otherwise, how else would the past have had blue skies? Blue skies existed only because the radiant sun reflected its glorious light onto the water, thus mirroring its color to the night sky.

 _This seems so pointless to think about…_  Froslass thought, looking away from the dead view.  _Perhaps I shall go get some useless sleep now too…_


	14. Tempest at the Harbor of Love, II

Chapter 14: Tempest at the Harbor of Love, II

The sun said its daily farewell to the cosmopolitan Treasure Town, and when its magnificent golden rays touched the last of the surface, it was as if hope diminished further into a miserable abyss.

And yet, with the existence of Team Seekers, it was quite the opposite. There was, actually, all hope to be found, rising only as time passed by.

At least, this was what Guildmaster Wigglytuff had thought. Certainly, there was a significant amount of truth to be valued within that statement, yet even the Universe itself wasn't sure if the Seekers would be their ultimate, saving grace.

* * *

Earlier that day, in a spasmodic panic, Luxray barged into the Wigglytuff Guild, demanding to let her voice be heard. Sandshrew followed, doing her best to keep Luxray calm, though her attempts were meager. After all, who could calm down a worrying mother when her child was in danger of being lost to her in the open seas? Fortunately, Guildmaster Wigglytuff was able to comply with her request, finding the perfect team to save their children.

"You are positive they can handle this?" Luxray asked Wigglytuff, almost begging him.

_Since when was I_ never _positive about the Seekers?_  Wigglytuff thought. Admittedly, he was worried, for the news of the legendary Team Raider's defeat against Lugia hit him like a merciless thunderbolt, bringing upon the pounding rain of doom and gloom. Yet, he would be willing to gamble all of his beloved Perfect Apples to bet that Genevra and Redley would bring back Team JoyLuck all in one piece. Sure, there was a possibility of them coming out scathed and scarred, but that would be nothing compared to the ultimate challenge the prophecy had dictated for them.

"They are the perfect team," Wigglytuff said, smiling to both Luxray and Sandshrew, hoping that they would have at least a ray of hope in their hearts. "I assure you, these two are quite extraordinary. Their names aren't as big as Team Charm's or Team Raider's, but they are legendary in their own right."

Naturally, Luxray and Sandshrew were unconvinced. Team Seekers were barely known, for they knew practically nothing about the said pair. They were a young team, and they had completed a number of missions that could be counted off the top of the head. Still, they clung onto Guildmaster Wigglytuff's words, because he  _knew_  and he was experienced with exploration teams. He was, in all ways thinkable, a sage, and a sage's words could always be trusted.

Still, even a sage like Wigglytuff had his own doubts.

_Who will send them over to Surrounded Sea? And when will they get back? They must return by the time Lugia comes over. Otherwise, they'd be goners too!_

These questions nagged at Wigglytuff, but he knew that everything would figure itself out within the limited time available. Somehow, he was reassured by some innate voice that there was almost a total advantage over this precarious mission.

* * *

It was then Wigglytuff personally ordered Girafarig (conveniently, he happened to be at the Wigglytuff Guild right as he had brought in a new batch of missions) to hurry out of the guild in search for Team Seekers. The giraffe willingly obliged, and that was how he had barged ungracefully into the library, for the panic of Team JoyLuck's dilemma had taken hold of him.

As such in an emergency, the Seekers abandoned their previous activities, following after Girafarig. The three arrived at the Wigglytuff Guild swiftly, and upon their appearance, an explanation was given by Wigglytuff for the sudden change of the Seekers' otherwise quiet day.

An expression of understanding dawned upon the Seekers' faces, and they soon found themselves agreeing that they could do the job, despite Lugia's treacherous storm that was slowly impending upon the citizens of Treasure Town. It wasn't without their doubts, however, and Genevra was the first to express her hesitation, as much as she didn't want to sound pessimistic.

"We won't find anyone who can fly us over—"

At the sudden pause, everyone looked at her expectantly, realizing that her unfinished statement held true. At least, they thought there was no one to fly them over to the Surrounded Sea, until—

"Salamence," Genevra said softly, as if experiencing an epiphany. "Salamence said he could…"

Redley caught on swiftly, remembering their last encounter with the renowned dragon. He looked over to Genevra, saying, "That's right! He said he wanted to come with us whenever we needed his help!"

"Who?" Nearly everyone but Wigglytuff had questioned in unison. Wigglytuff himself merely stayed silent, understanding that the Seekers had met the last standing member of the Legendary Dragon Duo.

_It appears that there is someone to fly them over there after all_ , the pink bunny thought.  _There isn't too much to worry about then!_

"That only means we have to hurry up and ask him before the sun sets down," Redley continued, taking a quick glance at a nearby window. Outside, the sun was showing no dismal signs of leaving the blue sky.

"We have no more time to waste, then," Genevra said, making her next move to leave the guild. Before leaving, however, the Luxray stopped the Gardevoir, almost as if she wanted to challenge her willpower.

"Hold it one second!" Luxray snapped, directing her voice at the Gardevoir. Genevra looked back, lightly surprised, though not intimidated. "You  _do_  understand that our children's lives are at stake, do you not?"

With all seriousness, the Gardevoir fully turned around, her body facing Luxray. "When there are other lives in danger, I will not hesitate to risk my life to save theirs."

"We're an exploration team," Redley added assuredly. "Part of our job means to rescue others at our risk."

For a moment, Luxray stared impenetrably, her eyes dense and adamant to the Seekers. Finally, to the surprise of everyone else, she said to them harshly, "I have high expectations that our children will be back to us safe and sound, is that clear?"

Genevra turned around, her back facing Luxray as she said with determination, "It was clear the first time. You didn't need to repeat it yourself."

Having nothing more to say, Redley merely gave a serious, resolute nod to the rest of the Pokémon, quickly following the Gardevoir out of the Wigglytuff Guild.

As soon as the two Seekers were far outside of the small assembly gathered in the Wigglytuff Guild, they easily agreed to swiftly preparing themselves for the long walk to Salamence, and for the threatening rescue mission. The two were efficient with their time and movements, their minds consciously focused on their menacing mission waiting to be completed.

Despite the easy flow of progress happening, it didn't stop the both the Gardevoir and Gallade from hearing tiny voices irritating their heads. In fact, one could almost mistake their confidence and strong-willed readiness as a façade of some sorts, ready to unmask itself in the face of genuine danger.

* * *

They were closely nearing Mt. Bristle, and the sky held the colors of airy, light coral and exquisite shades of ethereal vermilion. The sun, with the relatively last of its soft, ghostly rays, warmed the two Seekers walking side by side, as if reassuring their faith and image of two heroes undoubtedly destined to save the universe.

Still, heroes had to have their own doubts. Take, for instance, Genevra the Gardevoir.

For the reason she could not yet understand, Genevra had a burning urge to go out and rescue the three young children lost out at Surrounded Sea. There was something within the Gardevoir that made her want to instinctively save the trio. If she hadn't, she knew that she would feel guilt upon her, like it was  _her_  fault. If, and she prayed to Arceus that this wouldn't happen, the three young children had already died, she would voice that it was her own wrongdoing and that she deserved to bear the guilt.

_But why… Why am I intent on saving them so much? I barely know them, but already, it feels as if everything is my fault… that it's all just a burden upon me… And you know that you felt the same way when you wanted to rescue Spoink and Azurill… Yes, you wanted to save them, but why is that you feel like it's your duty, Genevra…?_

As the Gardevoir carried these thoughts upon herself, she looked absentminded, her mind lost in a deep concentration of the matter. Her body carried her onwards monotonously as she walked alongside Redley to meet Salamence.

On the contrary, the Gallade had been lost within his own thoughts as well, though he primarily recognized the Gardevoir's reflective absentmindedness. Within Redley's own conscious, he was pondering on

_I have to tell Genevra… I have to tell her…_

"Genevra," the Gallade said, facing the Gardevoir with concern.

She silently jerked her head towards Redley, suddenly aware that he was looking at her. Simultaneously, the two stopped walking, standing in the center of the dirt path to Mt. Bristle.

"Oh… yeah?"

_I know that we've admitted that we love each other, Genevra, but I need to be honest with you…_

"I was going to say… are you okay? You looked like you were in pain for a time, but…"

The Gardevoir felt her face turning red. "No, it was nothing. I can tell you when we're done with the mission."

Redley looked at her in mild disbelief, about to counter her statement when he realized that he had his own statement to deliver to her.

"Anyway, we have to get going. We need to save the children as soon as possible, there's no more time to—"

"Genevra," Redley forced himself to interrupt her. The Gardevoir was visibly shocked at his sudden action, though she willingly listened. "I need to tell you something."

The Gallade took a breath. Genevra looked at him expectantly, admittedly anxious to hear what he had to say.

"I know that while we have… admitted to each other for our love, I need to be honest with you." Here, the Gallade took another breath, hoping that it would calm him down.

"I told you before that I'm afraid of losing you," he said, his eyes drifting away from hers to the ground beneath them. "I understand that saving the children's lives are important, but with the way you were back at the Wigglytuff Guild, you looked so determined that you were ready to die for them, and I…"

Sadness effortlessly took over Genevra, and she was confronted with the previous memory of Darkrai's merciless attacks against her and Redley. [Soon, she found herself looking away from the Gallade as well, finding herself oddly hesitant about his next words.]

"I don't want to lose you again like I had with both my parents before…" he finished. "Otherwise, everything that we shared up to now will be lost."

The Gardevoir was quiet, though she managed to acknowledge his words silently through a proficient, firm nod of her head, nimbly moving her fingers to help relieve the tension within her.

"Then I'll just have to promise you that I'll do whatever I can to keep myself alive, Redley," Genevra said tenderly, looking directly in his eyes. "I don't want to lose everything we've shared either."

_Perhaps I should tell him about my own conflicts too,_ Genevra thought quickly.  _But at a time like this, your matters aren't as important as the three children lost out at Surrounded Sea…_

The Gallade could feel the faithful honesty emanating from Genevra, and he smiled out of the gratefulness of her words. Very nearly, Redley wanted to take the Gardevoir and embrace her, so that for one moment in time and space, synonymous with infinity, they would be within each others' arms. It would be of their own importance, especially one that reassured he would be at peace knowing that he was loved by another during his life, even if it meant Genevra would have to leave him. The approaching rescue mission made the Gallade feel as if he was on the verge of losing the Gardevoir, and though he was stronger than the day he had met her, the fear still clung onto him like that of gravity bounding individuals on earth.

Redley didn't take the Gardevoir in his arms.

Instead, he ignored his desire and said with a genuine tone: "Thank you, Genevra…"

The Gardevoir smiled, glad to see that Redley had understood her words.

And then, with extensive reluctance, the Gallade said, "But, yeah. Like you said, we have children to save. Let's get going to Salamence."

"Oh." Genevra blushed, half-wanting to tell him about her inner discord. Ultimately, she shoved it aside, as she had already said she would tell him after they had completed the mission anyway. "Yes. You're right. Let's move on."

* * *

 

The deep twilight settled in the open sky by the time the Seekers had reached at Mt. Bristle. The stars above seemed to twinkle with a renewed imminence, as if attempting to predict the eventual destiny of the fated partners. Occasionally, there were thick clouds holding the illusion of black smoke floating within the sky, their colors revealing the foreshadowing rainstorms that would arrive within time.

Upon looking at these dark clouds, Genevra was reminded ever so slightly of Darkrai — in terms of color and form, their materialization was so similar to Darkrai's anatomy. The clouds above her almost gave a notion that they were meant to drown the Gardevoir away into an abyss of complete oblivion. She shivered noticeably, perceiving a new fear gradually flourishing within her as she remembered Darkrai's intention to kill her.

Noticing this, Redley took her hand, recognizing that the Gardevoir had an unusual feeling of fear he hadn't seen in her before. He asked her again if there was anything distressing her, but her response was dismissive, as if she didn't want to share her pain with her loved one.

"I'm fine," she attempted to reassure the Gallade, forcing herself to push the anxiety within her away. There wasn't any need to make him any more worried. "Don't worry. Let's move on."

Genevra led the way to the top of the mountain, the Gallade following half in concern. Eventually, with considerable hesitancy, he dismissed his own concern towards the Gardevoir as well, something he would later realize to regret. By then, they had reached the top of the mountain, and the silhouette of a familiar dragon leisurely came into their view.

Salamence flicked his tail, cracking a friendly smile to the two Pokémon standing before him. "Well, if it isn't the Seekers," he greeted. "I thought I recognized you around the mountain earlier. I'd like to know what you're doing here."

"There is something we'd like your help with," Redley started, giving a nod to Genevra to reaffirm their mission. She returned the nod as the Gallade continued. "You see, there's an exploration team that needs rescuing…"

Without any trouble of any sort, Salamence naturally agreed in aiding them with their mission. The two Seekers were relieved, and they went on with all the confidence they could possibly muster now that they had the much-needed assistance of the esteemed dragon. In addition to rescuing children, as Salamence had once remembered doing with his old partner, Hydreigon, he was thankful to have something new to do. He felt nearly young again just at the prospect of flying out into the world for a mission to complete, and he had the company of two youthful Pokémon beaming with a resolute energy that charged the dragon.

It was agreed that the trio would leave for Surrounded Sea before the first signs of dawn would peek through the skies. At this, it seemed almost as if they were ready for their first true trial against time, demanding to test that their existences were indeed real and genuine. In doing so, the mere notion of leaving before the day could even start appeared to give them an upper hand in claiming a glorious victory — a victory only they alone could declare.

* * *

Dragonair was always slightly hesitant about leaving the palace. However, it was necessary for him to leave the palace to gather other essential belongings, especially for basics like food.

It had only been a couple of days since he had first arrived along with the Royal Egg. Dragonair was still adjusting to the new living conditions, making sure that he had familiarized himself with his new home to the maximum. At the very least — in the course of over a couple of days, the blue serpent had guessed — the Royal Egg would hatch soon, and Dragonair would be the Pokémon the young Prince would first see in his sight upon being born. There were signs of the egg occasionally moving on its own — whether it was the twitching towards one direction or a desperate wriggle to all sides, it was a sure sign that the life within the egg would be ready to exit any moment. Dragonair almost thought he could hear the young Prince's innocent cries:  _Let me out of here! I want to see the world!_

The palace was, simply in one phrase, comely and hardy. This wasn't a second extravagant palace meant for official duties, nor was it a luxurious summer home meant for relaxation. Rather, this was built as a retreat for dire emergencies, and it was a befitting home for Dragonair and the Royal Egg. It lacked the pristine jewels and sparkles that easily dazzled the eye like the official palace; instead, it took on the most modest appearance, using only ordinary grey stones for decoration aligned in a specific, obscure manner that read it was the mark of the Royal Family. The only feature remotely of good interest was the fact that the palace was unusually well-hidden during all times, regardless if it was during dark night or bright day. Indeed, the most remarkable fact about the structure was its striking ability to arise into visibility under the distinct light of the rare lunar eclipse. It was also carefully constructed, blending in expertly with the deep sea geography. Its only entrance and exit laid on the edge of a sea cliff, camouflaging unusually well with the neighboring ocean trenches. The palace reassured safety; nothing was compromised.

Despite its apparent lack of glamour, the humble setting had its own unique charm. Below the opening near the sea cliff, the palace ground comprised of the softest sands imaginable, the myriad particles occasionally glittering away tiny, delicate fragments of light from the occasional ray of sunbeams glimmering down through the exposing cracks of the sea precipices. Natural rock walls surrounded the central room, with miniature, diverging hallways leading to few other rooms of other use. The moderately distant, adjacent waters of Surrounded Sea were quite shallow, enough for sandbars to emerge during the low tides. Nearly no Pokémon lived here; at most, there would be that infrequent sea nomad, having no home to return to, only passing through the locale. Only miniscule invertebrates made up the majority of living organisms nearby, not quite intelligent enough to be called Pokémon, though still active and breathing a life of their own.

It was for those reasons that this seemed to be the perfect haven. No, it was the perfect haven. It would allow protection, an indestructible shield of defense for the last member of the Royal Family from danger until he was old enough to stand on his own. It was the perfect haven to raise the young Prince, to educate him about the beauties and monstrosities of the world, to inform him of his own birthright that he was entrusted with since conception.

And eventually he would learn of the legendary beasts Kyogre and Groudon and their perpetual war against each other, calling for peace only when Rayquaza's arrival commanded a temporary truce. Eventually, he would learn of the Ultimate Gods that rested in the skies above them — Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Arceus — and how it was to their authority that the wondrous miracle of their existence could happen. Eventually, he would learn of distant lands and adjoining territories, having their own legends and gods, spanning from the mythical Mew to the manmade Genesect to the irrevocable Yveltal.

And he would learn the story of his mother and father's bold, heroic sacrifice to save their sovereignty from the damned Lugia, of how Dragonair, their most loyal servant, was entrusted with the egg of the young Prince before his parents could even see his birth. He would learn of his mother's natural, flawless beauty, encompassing the warm, all-accepting heart and his father's innate, demanding strength, encompassing the strategic, coherent mind. He would learn of their past — the history of their bloodline — and what they had managed to provide to their kingdom in their long-standing dynasty that no other Royal Family had been able to endure as much as they had.

Indeed, everything that this Royal Family's most loyal servant had planned for the young Prince would come into fruition, executed in an efficiently-planned manner with only the best of intentions.

However, the peaceful prelude to such an idealistic future would be disturbed soon enough, sending Dragonair into a terrible sprawl of hopelessness, despair, and the path of irredeemability.

While Dragonair would suffer, however, Manaphy would be given a different fate; a fate of far more promise and security.

* * *

All of the wondrous, victorious hopes and dreams gradually disintegrated over a small period of time, like that of deciduous trees surrendering their leaves for the upcoming, bitter winter. It didn't happen as slowly as the painstaking process of the season change; nevertheless, it was still a significant development.

The ominous clouds had come first, having a shade of dark, funereal grey. They spotted the sky sporadically, though those random spots of clouds were soon followed by larger hordes of clouds fat enough to cover the sun, leaving everything below temporarily cold before revealing the sun once again.

At first, Dragonair merely dismissed it before he realized he had to take them with utmost seriousness. The blue serpent found himself glimpsing out to the direction of the sky more often than he would have liked to, and thus started his panicking once again.

He contemplated on leaving the safe haven, but his dominating conscious demanded otherwise. Where would he and the Royal Egg flee to if Lugia's storm eventually caught up to them? They would be caught up in the horrible maelstrom of rain and wind, and the ferocity of the storm was merciless; chances of surviving the tempest were slim. Besides, the palace they were in was safe enough, was it not? It compromised nothing, after all, only guaranteeing safety.

But then the dilemma hit him.

He didn't even have time to consciously recognize the crisis.

He only had a quick sliver of time and space to safely wrap his tail around the Royal Egg.

All he knew was the instinct of survival clawing at him, to escape away from the home that had promised safety, screaming to make it out alive, pleading for mercy.

The wind thrashed ruthlessly, plunging into the waters of Surrounded Sea, clawing at the ocean floors until they sent pieces of rock and sand into the hurricane of rain and wind. The once-calm sea life of invertebrates tore into diminutive fragments, ripping and tearing away their very lives, joining the chaotic mess of bullet rain and screeching gusts.

Dragonair was once again fleeing.

The safety of the palace that  _had_   _a_   _promise to safety, had a commitment to safety, had a pledge to safety, had an obligation and a guarantee to safety—_

_—failed._

* * *


	15. Tempest at the Harbor of Love, III

In the next early morning, Treasure Town saw the first victims of Lugia's rampage. With each corpse encased in their respectful, wooden coffin, a small number of Pokémon below carried it above their shoulders as they walked to the town square.

Around the square, the citizens of Treasure Town huddled towards each other, all faces solemn and heavy. One could hear the wrenching sobs of the victims' families, wailing out cries of despair.

Somewhere in a distance not too far, a trumpet played out a mournful funeral march. The sky suitably matched those of the citizens below, gray clouds threatening to pour rain at any moment.

Gallade of Team Raider stood aside from the town's collective mourning, a silent expression of anguish furrowed into his face. With his arms crossed and his back against a building nearby, he turned his head away from the grieving, his eyes hidden under the shadows.

 _Perhaps I had asked too much of these citizens at the battle_ , Gallade thought regretfully. _Was I not looking out for them as I should have? What if I should have restricted the numbers we brought over there?_

As the agonizing thoughts echoed depressingly inside his mind, a local priest began reciting a solemn chant, the simple start of what was the long, heavy ceremony for the dead. With the wearying atmosphere hung over, Gallade wondered if his team’s reputation as a first-rate exploration team would give way to a pathetic downfall, considering that the lives lost were on his account.

He wasn’t given too much time to think about the beckoning repercussions, however. Soon within the midst of grieving, he sensed a Pokémon walking towards him from the exact opposite direction of where the mourning crowd stood. Gallade turned his head forward to the direction, seeing the figure of a familiar pink bunny.

“Guildmaster,” Gallade addressed the Wigglytuff quietly, nodding once in his recognition.

“Hello there,” Wigglytuff said with a sad smile, an air of bittersweetness enveloping the two as he waved his paw faintly. “It's good to see that you're still safe enough.” Wigglytuff eyed the Gallade's moderate electric burns, though he notably frowned when he saw a few bandages covering the more severe electrical burns around Gallade.

“... I regret not being able to stop Her.” Gallade's voice was softer with these words. “I will take full responsibility for any charges that will ensue.”

The Guildmaster smiled ruefully. “I wasn't expecting the brightest of outcomes for this battle, truth be told. I'm also sure that though these deaths have happened...” Wigglytuff's voice dropped to a whisper, “no one will put the blame on anyone. I'm positive that these citizens recognized everyone's efforts, and I'm absolutely sure that you especially did the best that you could given your circumstances.”

Gallade scowled as he looked away, his eyes clenched together. _Hearing these words_ , he thought, _are too nice of Wigglytuff. I didn't do my best, and I could have done a tenfold of times better were it not for my rash actions back at the battlefield..._

Sensing that his words had made Gallade feel guiltier than he originally had been, Wigglytuff sighed. The Guildmaster, however, would not take his words back. Knowing that his words were of full fairness, he proceeded to discuss the next level of matters.

“Listen, Gallade,” the Guildmaster said in an even softer tone, his voice taking a more concerned tone. “There is something that I need to discuss in private with you now. We'll need to go back to my office at the guild.” Wigglytuff glanced at the mourning crowd, and then back to Gallade. “You can tell about our conversation to Rhyperior and Roserade later. Right now, this is a serious matter that needs to be discussed urgently.”

“In a time like this?” Gallade questioned in response, wondering what could be more urgent than a funeral taking place before them.

Wigglytuff looked around once again, pointing a secret way out so as to not be noticed by the crowd. “We'll go this way.”

Without any hesitation, the guildmaster started in the direction, Gallade following behind with slight reluctance.

* * *

 

“The time has come again for me to soar in the skies!” Salamence roared happily into the gray skies above him, his roar echoing throughout the hollows of Mt. Bristle. “Adventure awaits the three of us!”

Redley grinned cheerfully at Salamence's bursts of joy. “How long has it been since you last went out on a big adventure?”

“Hm, that's a good question.” Salamence looked thoughtful, pondering on his answer. “After Hydreigon's passing, I didn't really travel too far like what you would expect an explorer to do. Even though I haven't kept track of time in such a while, I can still say with certainty that this dragon isn't as old as you think he is.” With that, he smirked gleefully.

“The optimism is appreciated for sure though,” Genevra joined in, smiling at the jovial atmosphere, though her smile quickly turned into a slightly grim one. “After all, we do have an upcoming storm to pay attention to.”

“Oh, please, you two are such youngsters,” Salamence scoffed, his eyes raised in humorous disbelief. “Hydreigon and I have been through far worse trials. Besides, we should be fine as long as Lugia isn't close to where we are. The islands around Surrounded Sea aren't very big, either.”

Just recently, the trio had woken up early for the approaching day. Salamence, being as helpful as ever, assisted in supplying their breakfast as well as for their upcoming journey, kindly stocking up on supplies that the Kecleon Market would not have included in their ordinary sales merchandise. Presently, the three had finished eating their breakfast, almost ready to leave for their upcoming mission. All that remained was discussing a general plan in saving the three children lost out at Surrounded Sea.

“Do we have a copy of their mission they took on?” Salamence asked, glancing over to the Treasure Bags in curiosity.

“Ah.” Genevra looked disappointed, wishing she hadn’t spoken the next few words. “We don’t, unfortunately. Wigglytuff told us that they were only lost out at sea and an emergency rescue team was needed. There wasn’t any mention of a mission. That’s our only lead.”

“Well, that’s not such a big problem. They might have just been exploring instead of completing a mission,” Salamence concluded, merely flapping his wings once in acceptance. “I assume that because this is a young exploration team, a Wailord must have sent them to the Surrounded Sea islands. These children aren't Water-Types, after all, so there isn't any realistic possibility of them surviving the depths of the waters. The only logical conclusion is that they were sent to the islands around Surrounded Sea, and it also happens that the water around that area is very shallow. Surely, it’s enough for them to be able to walk through to travel through the islands.”

“It makes sense,” Redley said, nodding in agreement. “I read in a book that that particular area there is supposed to be volcanically active. That's why the waters there are shallow, and warmer. With underwater volcanoes active there, they keep adding landmass, building up more and more land so that islands can form.”

“How big are these islands?” Genevra wondered out loud, immediately taking out the reliable Wonder Map from her bag. “Are they big enough to be able to sustain life?”

“There are not many big islands with life in regards to vegetation,” Salamence answered as Redley and Genevra scanned the map. “Maybe there's two, three, or four. Five or six at most. I can't remember too well... Hold on.”

The dragon disappeared off to a dark corner of a cave, away from the light that poked through the breaks of the mountaintop. The two Seekers watched him for a moment, suddenly spotting a small but bright fire emanating from the cave. A few moments later, the light of the fire died out with the sound of a breath. Salamence returned back out into the sunlight, carrying a tattered, taupe copy of a rolled scroll in his mouth.

“This is a rare map,” Salamence exclaimed as soon as he put the map down to the floor. “Sweet Mew, I haven't opened this map ever since Hydreigon wrapped it around and stuffed it with our other unused maps.”

Slowly, the map unveiled itself before the trio. At the top, there was a small label, reading _Map of Surrounded Sea Islands._ Like any other respectful map, it carried the standard information that made a map worth studying: a legend lay at the bottom left corner, with geographical coordinate system meticulously laid out across the chart. Other ornaments such as the compass and scale lay closely by the legend. At the very bottom center, if one peered closely, was the cartographer's name tidily engraved in metallic cobalt ink.

“This doesn't look like a very common map,” Redley commented. “I've only seen this once, and that was in the Treasure Town Library's biggest atlas. Aren't they made by... What's his name?”

“These maps were made by the renowned Peregrine von Kosmo,” Salamence answered. “He is the father of all foremost cartographers and map-makers around the world. Your standard Wonder Map, the one Wigglytuff supplied you, is also made by the same cartographer. The only thing is, his maps have become such the norm that no one bothers putting on his name anymore.” With this statement, Salamence snorted in irritation. “Such a grave disrespect to the great individual; at least mark his initials on the map for the love of Dialga.”

The offhand remark captured Redley’s attention for only a while, though it disappeared as Salamence continued speaking.

“Anyway,” the dragon said as he observed the now-unrolled map, scrutinizing the entire document, “from what I can see here, there are exactly four islands that look capable of inhabiting life. Team JoyLuck must have gone to one of these islands.”

Both the Gardevoir and Gallade looked along, kneeling down to get a better view.

“It looks like there’s only one big island that will be difficult to inspect,” Genevra commented, seeing that the other three islands were not as big as the one in the center.

Redley frowned visibly, an expression of thought taking hold of his mind. “That brings up the question: Which island should we look at first? It won’t be an easy question to answer, either. We don’t have much time, and Wigglytuff only told us that they were stuck on a lone island, as the letter had described.”

“It would be most effective by splitting up,” Salamence answered simply. “There are four islands. One of us will have to take two instead, and I think I’m probably the best Pokémon to do that, considering I can fly over from one island to the next.”

The Gallade caught on quickly, finishing Salamence’s words. “If we find them, then, we can send out a signal. You can aim any move in the direction of the sky bright enough for the rest of us to see. Then, we can go wait out in the shores so that it’s easier for you, Salamence, to spot and pick us up.”

“Wait, what about you?” Genevra asked, looking at Redley with concern. “How will you be able to signal us?”

The Gallade gave Genevra a promising smile. “I’ll find a way. There should be enough resources for me over there to figure something out.”

The Gardevoir looked at Redley quietly, shyly admiring his self-confidence despite her rising fears over the Gallade. Choosing to dismiss her thoughts, she began another sentence before an awkward silence would grip between them.

“Then it’s settled,” Genevra said with as much determination as she could muster. “All that’s left is deciding who will look through which island.”

“I propose that I take the smallest of the two islands. Put together, their area is equal to that of the biggest island there. You two can decide amongst the remaining islands between yourselves.”

“I’ll take the biggest island, then,” Redley offered promptly.

“Ah, okay,” Genevra said, feeling unexpected from what seemed like Redley’s sudden decision. “That leaves me with the last one.”

Salamence flapped his wings, the air around the trio moving instantly with a brisk and cool movement. “We’re ready, then. I’d like it if someone would hold this map in their Treasure Bag, just in case. Other than that, we have everything we need.”

Both the Seekers nodded in firm agreement. Without wasting another moment, Redley quickly rolled up the _Map of Surrounded Sea Islands_ as Genevra sat down on the dragon’s back. Soon, the Gallade joined Genevra, and Salamence took off into the ever-growing gray skies above. In spite of their increasing distance to the looming crisis, there was the unmistakable feeling of indomitability and fearlessness, steadily and surely evolving.   

* * *

In another Universe, the Mirror Spacetime Continuum, knitted tightly by the same fabrics of the Spacetime Continuum, another God suspended quietly and motionlessly in space, almost statue-like in Its Origin Forme.

Its deep vermillion eyes studied the surrounding distortions of the Spacetime Continuum carefully and intently, watching the floating luminescent orbs shining against dusty globules. The orbs, as they had always been, exhibited scenes and vignettes of the bordering parallel world, the Spacetime Continuum, and they gave the God the power to observe everything It could see whenever It wished to. The only exception was Arceus’ Realm, an entirely disparate domain that no individual could ever even dream of glimpsing but Arceus Itself. Such was the life of Giratina, being able to roam freely among this infertile, antediluvian, even uninhabitable, hinterland of a world.

The Mirror Spacetime Continuum was a reality of eternally static chaos, of lost ideas, truths, _civilizations_ forever frozen in time, manifested in a poetry of juxtaposed order. Sounds reverberating in circles throughout eventually collided with one another before disjoining back into its own entity: the distant hunting horn would meet the solemn hymn recited by a past monk’s voice, unite together for a space and time, and then part their respective ways. Likewise for architectures, it was a curious puzzle of various styles of all magnificent history: one building would have the dome of an ancient mosque, the tall exterior of a medieval cathedral, and the tilted wooden pillars of an early oriental temple --- before its cultural difference would separate them back into their own original forms. Slanted rays of light shone sporadically on objects in varying interims, its source the light of a random, wandering star. Everything existent here slipped in between strange, experimental results of hybrid ideas and truths as a principle of their reality.

It was here where life was given back to those who had lost their presence in the Spacetime Continuum: lost books burned in that world were reincarnated here as though they had never been burned in the first place, destroyed stone tablets perfectly pieced back together as though they had never been broken from an external force, archaic languages which failed to be preserved in the Other World surviving here as if they had ceaselessly lived here, all residing together in a library of remembered and forgotten histories. Ruined artifacts of times lost, from the simplicity that was a chair to the complexity of a musical instrument to useless sciences and expired philosophies, managed to salvage its own existence here among others, as though they were misfit wayfarers who had finally found a place they could call home. Here, they all regained their past singularity that they once were, joining in the never-ending resonant symphony of joining and parting with other singularities, of dissonance and resolution with other existences.

For as long as anyone could observe while in this Mirror Spacetime Continuum, one would gather its wondrous existence, utterly incomprehensible in nature. All things, physical materializations, underwent a constant cycle of analysis and comprehension, repeating itself to reach deeper levels of total understanding, to final wisdom.

Yet as anarchically pristine and beautiful as the solitary world proved to be, the concept of unjust destruction was possible, in so that even this perfectly flawed world could experience its own apocalypse. It wasn’t long before the distant call of Dialga was heard that Giratina’s sleeping fears arose, that what Arceus had so established was ready for the approaching mass holocaust, ultimate eradication.

“ **Sibling Palkia… Sibling Giratina…** ” The voice echoed delicately but intensely across the space and time of this continuum here… “ **The Chaos is approaching…** ”

With this declaration, many of the orbs instantly shattered, its fragments scattering into its nearby spaces until it disintegrated into nothing but faint sparkles of lusterless light, soon transforming into jet-black smoke.

Giratina paused, letting Dialga’s words resonate into Its mind, its understanding sinking deeper and deeper. It wondered if Palkia had heard the words in Its own dimension, and began to ready Itself with preparations for safety. Giratina Itself should do the same, It realized, for perhaps the clockwork of the Universe had already begun unwinding its way to eradication.

Then, Giratina blinked once, Its eyes blazing, and called from the top of Its voice:

“… _ **Libera nos, libera nos, libera nos de morte primordiales aeterna…**_ ” 

* * *

 

It was once far distant and almost impossible to believe before anyone’s view to the naked eye, for it was like a mirage oasis in the desert ready to ensnare desperate lost souls to a sound sanctuary. It was once like a tiny strip of land in a sea, its emerald-shaded leaves vibrantly sparkling on grand Redwood trees, deep green vines clinging to trunks and branches all throughout the kingdom it was in comparison to its surrounding landscape. But now, it was not.

Grovyle had, at last, arrived at Treeshroud Kingdom.

Presently, he stood before the entrance, having just finished traversing an open prairie without having his true identity at risk thus far. It was morning now, the dew still sparkling from streams of sunlight caressing the scenery, as there had been a mild shower the previous night. The wind blew gently, greeting waking individuals to the new day. Around, pastel-colored flowers bloomed in natural clusters, almost dancing whenever the wind blew.

Upon entering the Treeshroud Kingdom, he’d have to first check out for some fresh news. It had been some time since he had received any update on the situation with Lugia, _Primal_ Lugia, that was. And what of Genevra? Yes, she was most certainly important as well, just as important, perhaps even _more_ important. Time might have been running out in the limited space they had together, and he surely needed to be reunited with her to keep good progress of their mission. He was even hopeful at the thought that Genevra had obtained a Holy Time Gear or two in her hands by now, for he knew she was capable of such extraordinary tasks, but the news would have to be widespread across the world first of missing Time Gears in general. It was a sin, Grovyle knew very well, to even _attempt_ to steal a Holy Time Gear.

In any case, Grovyle closed his eyes and took a breath, enjoying the feeling of sunlight on his skin. When he sighed, he opened his eyes again and began making his way into Treeshroud Forest, holding his own Treasure Bag close to him.

It was a bustling yet magical civilization, Grovyle saw, teeming with individuals that led lives of all sorts. As soon as he lost himself among the crowds, he was immersed into a symphony of urban sounds, with nearby chatter of citizens, distant calls of fresh food from vendors, and clatters of wagons and wheelbarrows along the cobblestone paths. The tall Redwood trees stood in place like manmade skyscrapers in a steely metropolis, businesses and shops occupying tree hollows all over the trunk from the base of the tree to the higher ends near the branches. Sunlight peeked through the tree branches and leaves, shining light into the grand forest. Streets, roads, avenues, and boulevards all snaked around tree trunks, name labels tacked onto poles and tree trunks.

 _If I’m not mistaken,_ Grovyle thought, his eyes scanning warily around, _this Holy Time Gear, the First Time Gear, the Holy Treeshroud should be at the heart of this kingdom… Yet what exactly_ is _the heart of this city? Remembering the books I’ve read with Celebi and Genevra, we had guessed it would be at Central Plaza… But no, it’s not at the Central Plaza, for we had deduced based on looking at the maps that it couldn’t be there since it’s such a public place… It would be foolish to place the Time Gear there, and whoever had planted these Time Gears surely knew of the repercussions of placing them there… We had pictures in those books we read as well, pictures that detailed their placement but so many of them were so ill-preserved we could not read their images and maps clearly for their locations! Even the books themselves were so badly kept that they were beyond readable comprehension! Hmm, if only Genevra were here with me right now, perhaps we’d have an easier time figuring it out! Such a merciless shame that we all agreed we would only find its location_ after _the both of us had arrived back in this past!_

A sudden shove snapped Grovyle out of his thinking, and he fell to the ground on his bottom with a _thump_ , holding his head with a hand to ease himself.

“Hey, watch it you _lizard_!” a Houndoom snarled next to him, baring his fangs as small fiery sparks leapt from his mouth. “I’ve got a basket of Berries on my saddle and if you push me and drop these Berries, you’ll be getting a nice burning bite on your neck!”

Grovyle’s eyes opened immediately at the violent threat, jumping backwards in surprise. “I—I truly apologize for disturbing you! It was not my intention to push you or even attempt at making your Berries fall!”

By now, some walking bystanders had stopped and begun observing the scene. The Houndoom was still glaring at him, his fangs still bared, almost as if saying, _I dare you to push me_ one more time! Grovyle, on the other hand, was clutching to the hope of avoiding a barbaric moment. This was Treeshroud Kingdom, after all, deemed throughout history as one of the most tolerant civilizations in the world they lived in of all time. Where this unexpected act of menace came from was far from Grovyle’s comprehension.

Then, the Houndoom sighed in agitation, closed his mouth and snorted out smoke and loose flames. “I have business to do, so stay out of _my_ way!”

Grovyle nodded quickly, understanding his warning. He scurried to the side near one of the bigger tree trunks, determined to make sure he wouldn’t be anywhere near the Houndoom for the remainder of the time.

Meanwhile, the bystanders looked at Grovyle momentarily intrigued, and whispered among themselves about the scene. Grovyle felt foolish, admonishing himself for putting himself into such a spotlight. This was not only embarrassing; it was a danger to his mission! He was only here to gather a Time Gear, hoping to avoid anyone talking to him so that his identity would go unnoticed. But to his misfortune, his identity was already being talked amongst the citizens here. Couldn’t he just walk by and pass himself off as an explorer, like the countless others out there? Couldn’t he be as well-disguised like a leaf in a forest: plain, ordinary, nothing unique so that no one would give a passing glance by him? But now it was too late: his leaf-in-a-forest disguise had failed, and now he had to continue this mission with that mistake upon his shoulders. Everyone in the town now would point to him and say, “Look, there’s that Grovyle who caused a ruckus with that Houndoom this morning!” As if he needed that to hinder his true mission!

But at least it was only for Treeshroud… Surely, when Grovyle would reach the other resting places of the Time Gears, he wouldn’t have to suffer the same mistakes.

 _I’ll need to really be wary now!_ he thought, and began slinking off from the main streets to the more densely occupied trees.

"Hey, wait!”

The voice had come from behind Grovyle; it was a light soprano, melodious even, almost reminiscent of Celebi’s voice… Grovyle half-expected that it would be her as he turned his head around, his body almost anxious…

But it was not Celebi.

Instead, a young Whimsicott, followed by a Cottonee, was running up to him, her expression apprehensive.

“I’m sorry, really,” Grovyle said to the Whimsicott quickly, his body facing towards the opposite direction from her. “I’m rather in a hurry right now, and I cannot afford to have time for any conversation.”

“But I only—”

“I really cannot talk, now, so I will excuse myself.” 

“I just—” 

Here, however, the Whimsicott had just taken note that the Grovyle was now hurrying further away, completely cutting her off.

“ _Sweet Mew what does it take for Pokémon now these days to treat each other kindly?!_ ” the Whimsicott wailed theatrically, and immediately catching Grovyle off guard, she attacked his back with a Razor Leaf. “ _Do I have to be mean to get others to listen to me now?!_ ”

"Gah!” Grovyle fell face-flat on the grassy floor, releasing a sound of choked pain from the brusque Razor Leaf assault. He turned around briskly, confused and slightly injured, staring at the Whimsicott.

“Miss, I thought I made it clear that I couldn’t talk with you!”

“I only wanted to know if you needed any help around the Treeshroud Kingdom here!” the Whimsicott defended herself, her voice still loud. The Cottonee behind her was cringing, shaking visibly in embarrassment. “Back there, when you bumped into Houndoom, you looked like you were lost in your way here! I was going to offer some help! Bah!”

Grovyle sighed, facepalming himself. “Oh, dear.”

_I just caused another scene, didn’t I? What if she goes around now and tells everyone in this place how much of a rude individual I am? It’ll only help boost my reputation as a Time Gear thief in the future! And then that will further make it difficult to obtain Time Gears in general!_

“Alright, Miss. I’m sorry. I, I was flustered earlier from the encounter with Houndoom. It was unexpected, as you can understand, and so I tried to escape from the scene immediately to save myself from further humiliation. I meant you no rudeness, but that didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. Therefore, if there is any way I can make it up to you, please let me know and I will do what needs to be done.”

There was an extended silence, and finally, Whimsicott herself sighed and held out her hand.

“I’m sorry for the sudden outburst as well. When you said you didn’t have time to talk, I should’ve listened and left you there. You won’t have to make it up.”

Grovyle observed the Whimsicott carefully, and then took her hand. They shook each other’s hand, the feeling of acceptance and comprehension set between the two.

At this conclusion, Grovyle would have left and gone on his way, but as the Whimsicott had accurately pointed out earlier, he looked like he was lost, especially around here. Sighing, Grovyle prepared himself for the next statement.

“Erm, I should introduce myself properly. I’m Grovyle.”

“I’m Whimsicott, and Cottonee here is my little sister,” was her polite reply. Cottonee nodded once in greeting. Whimsicott said nothing else, knowing that Grovyle was going to continue.

“I admit that I am not native to Treeshroud Kingdom here, and you had been so considerate in offering me guidance around,” Grovyle began, and then, with some noticeable unconfidence, “Are you still willing to help my way around here? There are some questions that I would like the answers to.”

Whimsicott sighed, and then after a small pause, she smiled as if she were weary of Grovyle’s behavior. “Here, let’s walk back to my café. There, we can continue this conversation.”

* * *

 

Whimsicott’s café was located in one of the less busy streets around Treeshroud, burrowed in a Redwood tree hollow, quaintly named _Dandelion Wishes_. (“They were named after those dandelion flowers you blow, and make a wish when their seeds scatter, you know,” Whimsicott explained, “It’s naïve of me, I’m aware, but I can dream can I?” Grovyle respectfully agreed, though he had not a slightest iota what dandelion she was talking about, most likely because flowers as exquisite-sounding as the dandelion did not exist in the Dark Future.) Inside, the architecture comprised mainly of beige-colored wood, from wooden tables to the wooden countertops to the wooden cabinets. Cushions covered the chairs, allowing comfort to customers while occasional vernal decorations adorned the café — fresh leaves strung in chains, pleasantly smelling herbs, potted plants of all kinds, and, as Grovyle had not quite recognized, dandelions placed in glass vases.

“This is… an absolutely charming place. This café is so delightful. I’m very grateful to even be here,” Grovyle said, sitting at the bar countertop. His words were no exaggeration.

“Ah, well, I do thank you for your generous remarks,” Whimsicott said from behind the bar countertop. She greeted a couple of her employees, resuming along her business as she searched for various ingredients. “We have a very steady business, which is nice. I’m making others happy with my special grass-type drinks in particular, and it’s such the relief for the café manager like myself.”

Grovyle didn’t say anything in response to her, and merely studied her. Whimsicott was young, yes, and naïve, as she had admitted just previously. Yet, Grovyle had observed her long enough to conclude that she was most definitely astute enough to recognize certain things. Surely, she must have known answers that Grovyle wanted. The questions would have to start soon.

“Anyway,” Whimsicott continued, crouching down to a cabinet now as she reached for a cup. “Would you like to have a drink on the house? It’s my welcome to you here in Treeshroud Kingdom.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“Alright, then. This one, I’m sure you’ll like!”

Various sounds of working continued, with beverages poured in and out of glasses, a blender going off, the hiss of an espresso machine, and clinking between porcelain cups.

After a few minutes of unspoken silence, Whimsicott finished preparing the drink, neatly topping it with whipped cream, mint green frosting and a colorful straw. Upon further inspection, as Grovyle had done when Whimsicott turned towards his direction, he saw that the drink was in a moderately sized mug.

“Aha! This drink is certainly one of the best I’ve made in a long while!” Whimsicott said proudly with a shining smile. She placed it on the countertop, pushing it towards to Grovyle. “Enjoy!”

Grovyle paused, registering the artsy drink before his eyes. It smelled warm and delicious, and it almost felt as though it were a luxury that felt too expensive for him to afford…

Nonetheless, he took the drink before Whimsicott could make any comment on his apparent delay in drinking. With the first sip, Grovyle tasted an invigorating and sweet honey flavor, traces of light flower petals sprinkled throughout, and a well-blended brew of lum-razz berries. There were definitely more ingredients, Grovyle was sure, but he couldn’t identify them, given that his limited knowledge of foods in this time were an impediment to his raising in the Dark Future. No one from the Dark Future could even list the ingredients he first identified, Grovyle knew, because of its rarity in the first place.

“This is… incredible, to say in the least. I’ve never had anything like this,” Grovyle said, amazed.

“I’m glad to hear that! This is a special drink I’ve made myself, named Summer Delight. It’s our most popular drink here on the menu for grass-type Pokémon, reminiscent of its summery tastes. The demand for this drink soars when winter is around especially, when everyone longs for warmer days. Even non-grass-types order it.”

“Indeed,” Grovyle agreed, and then took another sip.

Another unspoken silence continued as Whimsicott allowed Grovyle to savor the drink. The silence lasted comfortably enough for Whimsicott to continue their conversation.

“Where are you from, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Grovyle paused, looking up from the drink. “I’m afraid I can’t give you an answer for that.”

“Oh?” Whimsicott looked at Grovyle curiously. “Do all explorers say that now these day?”

Grovyle darted his eyes away temporarily, nodding his head back and forth. “I do, in the least.”

Whimsicott sighed with a smirk, as if ready to play Grovyle’s game. “Well, you admit that you're an explorer. So then, if you won’t tell me where you’re from, what are you doing with your life as an explorer?”

“That, I’m afraid, is confidential information.” Grovyle took another sip.

"Confidential, then? Well.” Whimsicott sighed, leaning her arms on the table as her head hung slightly lower. “I offer my hospitality to you, and I receive no information in return? I wonder if taking you to my café here was a good idea initially.”

“Oh, please—” Grovyle cut himself off, halfway drinking through a sip with a small cough. He set the cup down as he continued, “I don’t mean to mooch off of you like some disrespectful beggar. When I say that my identity as well as my intentions as what you label me as explorer are confidential, they are to remain confidential.”

Whimsicott sighed, and then frowned. “You’re… awfully mysterious, aren’t you. The fact that you’re keeping everything shut must mean that you’re working for someone, for something.”

Grovyle nodded along. “That, I do not deny.”

Another silence ensued, the background sounds of café chatter and drink-making continuing as Grovyle continued to drink. Then, Whimsicott started again abruptly.

“Well, I imagine you’re not going to stay here for very long. Since that is so, we might as well cut to the chase now. Where do you need to go to?”

Grovyle looked at Whimsicott. “Well, that was a bit sudden. Hm…” Grovyle thought carefully, wondering how he should phrase his words. “I need to get to the heart of Treeshroud Kingdom.”

“Oh, that? You must mean Central Plaza.”

“That, that’s what I mean?”

Whimsicott looked at him curiously again. “What is it you mean exactly then? Everyone here knows that the heart of the Treeshroud Kingdom is Central Plaza.”

Grovyle sighed. “Well, I’m not being very specific. What I mean is…” Grovyle looked around the café carefully, his eyes darting from left to right. His voice dropped to a hushed whisper. “I need to look for the Holy Time Gear here. The Treeshroud Time Gear.”

All former emotions disappeared suddenly from the Whimsicott, and she felt fear and suspicion rise within her. “Why, why would you look for that?” Her voice was shaking slightly.

“Oh, dear Arceus, I have no intention of stealing it if that is what you’re thinking. The idea of stealing a Time Gear itself is a sinner’s thought, a sinner’s _doing_.”

“Then what—”

Grovyle cut her off immediately, a finger close to her lips as he leaned over the table to her, his face close to hers. Whimsicott blushed, her cheeks noticeably rouge. His voice was quiet, murmurous even, as he spoke.

“I am only going to say this once, Miss Whimsicott, and I request you keep this to yourself, as anyone else with this knowledge will find not only them, but you and I as well, _dead_. My mission as what you labeled me as an explorer consists of reassuring the safety of each and every Time Gear there is in this world we inhabit. As you might be well aware, there are rumors and gossip of the… _flow of time_ becoming more and more chaotic in nature, let’s say. More dangerously put, the fabrics of spacetime are becoming more disordered, bringing this stable universe we live in into utter destruction and collapse. I am sent from a greater entity to assure the wellbeing of all the Holy Time Gears here, which are the last hope of every single Pokémon that lives today in this world.”

Grovyle pulled away, his face and finger at a comfortable length far from Whimsicott. She was still trembling slightly as he took the final sips of the drink, keeping as cool as he had ever been.

“Do you see now?” Grovyle said finally, placing the empty cup back down to the table.

Whimsicott nodded, and then sighed. “You were… very direct, candid, in the way you spoke. You frightened me, and the things you said will still stay with me in fear for… for quite some time.”

There was a slight pause before Whimsicott resumed. Here, Whimsicott lowered her voice, though she didn’t bring herself closer to Grovyle.

“You… You must have been aware of the Houndoom earlier, weren’t you? That every… Well, not every, but more and more Pokémon are starting to develop negative attitudes, regardless if cynical or skeptical or downright rude, because of the… imbalance in nature, as you have just described. That the… fabrics in spacetime are self-destructing, as I have read, and causing more bad Pokémon to increase in numbers.”

Actually, Grovyle wasn’t aware that that was why Houndoom had acted the way he had acted earlier, dismissive as he threatened to scar Grovyle with a “nice burning bite on his neck.” Nonetheless, he kept his poise as he listened to Whimsicott’s words, and upon hearing them, they all clicked together instantly as to why Treeshroud Kingdom did not live up to the utopian cosmopolis he had read from literature past in the Dark Future. Treeshroud Kingdom was not the only one that suffered the effects of more uncivil Pokémon; it was a worldwide happening.

“I… I know where it is. The relic that you speak of,” Whimsicott continued. “I will show it to you, and you can ensure its safety then, but you must promise me that you will speak of this to no one else. Only a few Pokémon know of its location now. The King and Queen of this kingdom long ago revoked its knowledge of the location and put it elsewhere for its safety in fear of a terrible future happening.”

 _I wonder how you’ve come to obtain the knowledge, then_ …

“I must be honest: I do not know if I can keep your promise in speaking of this to no one else. As you have keenly observed before, I am working for… someone.” _Or rather, I’m working for the arrival of a better future, so that the Dark Future won’t ever exist._ “I have partners with me in this mission.” _Or rather, I have only Genevra. Celebi is too far away to help us gather Time Gears now…_

Whimsicott only looked into Grovyle’s eyes, searching for some clear answer from the mysterious stranger. But she could not find any.

“As a result, do you still trust me?” Grovyle challenged.

“I…” Whimsicott looked away. “I’m positive that you’ll be wise as to whom you will reveal this information, if you break the promise I ask you. So… I will still trust you.”

_She really does sound naïve… I could have easily been working for enemies instead… I could have easily been someone like Dusknoir, or better put, Dusknoir could have easily been in my position and given the same lie that I had given Whimsicott just now._

“I close this café in the evening at eight,” Whimsicott went on. “After I finish closing it, I will lead you to it then. In the meantime…”

“In the meantime, I would like newspapers and magazines of every press that are currently available at our access. I hope that’s not too much difficulty to accommodate.”

“Oh, of course not!” Whimsicott stood up from the table suddenly, and went over to a small corner of the café. Occupied in the corner was a tall newspaper rack, which Grovyle had just spotted now, containing newspapers of all sorts from a diversity of places. “I have practically every newspaper and magazines here in this café! At least, the ones known worldwide. The famous ones with the highest reputation of accuracy and precision in reporting news…”

“They will do,” Grovyle said simply, seeing that Whimsicott had taken a copy of each newspaper and magazine on the rack.

Whimsicott arrived back at Grovyle’s table, and dropped them all before him.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, of course. You know… if there’s anything else you need, like lunch or dinner, I can also accommodate with that. We also serve food here, so…”

“I’ll request food when I feel the need for it. Otherwise, I’ll be fine.”

Whimsicott nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be behind the countertop if you need anything more.”

With that, a solid agreement was settled firmly between the two. Whimsicott resumed managing her business, albeit with some hesitation, and Grovyle immediately dove into the newspapers and magazines.

It didn’t take him very long to find Genevra.

At least, not very long, on the newspapers.

* * *

 

“ _Are you serious?!_ ”

Gallade’s outburst was aggressive, predatory, even.

Wigglytuff, on the other hand, remained calm, unnerved by Gallade’s outburst.

" _What the hell?! You sent Genevra out there?! With Redley? They’re not going to make it! They’re going to die!_ ”

If Wigglytuff weren't the guildmaster of his esteemed exploration guild, Gallade would have readily attacked him with a series of every attack he knew, pounding the life out of Wigglytuff.

They were currently in Wigglytuff’s Office of the guild, and both Pokémon were standing in the center of the room, as though there were a deadlock in a battle. The only sound that filled the room was soft pitter-patter of the rain against the guild walls.

“I do hope you’ve finished,” Wigglytuff started calmly, and then turned around to seat himself at his chair.

Gallade didn’t respond, and simply walked towards a window, watching the rain outside with his arms tightly crossed.

“And as I had told you, Salamence is with them as well. He is _extraordinary_. You know of his legendary status with Hydreigon. I don’t have worries.”

“… It’s almost difficult to believe that you _approved_ of them going out into Lugia’s storm. But you actually gave them the permission.”

“You would have not done the same if an exploration team of three children were lost out at sea?”

“Rather than having a new and inexperienced exploration team go out to do the job, _I myself_ would have gone back instead.”

“Even in your condition?” Wigglytuff looked at Gallade’s injuries.

Gallade looked at Wigglytuff squarely in the eye, though he looked away soon after. He could not give an answer to Wigglytuff’s question, no matter how much he wanted to rebuke the guildmaster.

“In any case,” Wigglytuff continued, “that’s only the first set of things I wanted to discuss with you. Surely, you are aware that the Seekers have immense potential as an exploration team. Admittedly, I believe, there is something unique about them. They are, for lack of a better term, prodigies of an exploration team. You know this yourself. I have complete faith they will be back safely.”

“… Completing Test A in four days…” Gallade murmured, almost absentmindedly. “And they’re still mysterious… No, _she_ is mysterious. Redley is not.”

Wigglytuff looked at Gallade with intrigued eyes.

Gallade turned around here, looking at Wigglytuff with serious eyes. “Very well. If the Seekers are out there with Salamence, I have trust in your words that they will be back safely with the three children out there.”

“Good. You can tell the rest of your members of this later. Now moving onto the next discussion of matters—”

“However, you must tell me more about Genevra.”

The guildmaster was surprised at Gallade’s sudden interruption.

“Redley is a native of Treasure Town. That, I’ve known for some time now. Even before he joined Genevra in an exploration team with the PETF, I had known him as the only other Gallade living in this vicinity. What of Genevra, then? Where is she from? And most importantly, why such exceptional faith in these two? These two inexperienced and new explorers? I see Redley as ordinary, and Genevra as a mystery. What do they have that you haven’t seen otherwise? And why else would you tell me of this?”

Wigglytuff looked back at Gallade with equally intense, challenging eyes. “And how would you expect me to know? I am a mere guildmaster, and those two are not apprentices at my guild. As a guildmaster, I simply sense that they have massive capabilities as an exploration team, and I thought of it useful to let you know of them, though it turns out you had already met them back at Hot Springs as you had explained to me in the beginning of our conversation. You mentioned yourself that you found the two interesting, worth keeping an eye on, and I had assumed you were aware of something powerful about them. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“You’re _hiding_ something. You’re _lying_.”

“I am _not_.”

“You know more than I do about them!”

“I do _not_ know more than you do. I am just in the dark about these two as much as you are.”

Another deadlock stood between the two, creating tense air between them.

At last, Gallade sighed, and gave up on challenging the guildmaster. If there was a competition for the most stubborn individual between them, Wigglytuff was the ultimate winner, no matter how hard Gallade tried.

“You’re hiding something, Guildmaster. I know it.” Gallade walked away from the window, and walked in front of Wigglytuff. “This conversation is not over.”

Wigglytuff only stayed silent, wondering what Gallade’s next move would be. But it was straightforward, showing only practical tone and intent.

“What were the other matters you wanted to talk about?” Gallade asked, looking at Wigglytuff expectantly.

…

“♪ _Team Charm!!! ♪_ ” Wigglytuff sang loudly, abruptly bouncing up from his chair. “You are very fond of them, aren’t you, Gallade of Team Raider? Throwing yourself into affairs with all of them?”

Gallade flinched at the unexpected explosion from Wigglytuff, frowning as he struggled to comprehend what the guildmaster had done.

“… Guildmaster,” Gallade said calmly, trying to ignore Wigglytuff’s ridiculously hokey dancing, “for what purposes do they serve in our discussion?”

“I wanted to update you on them!” Wigglytuff jumped up to his chair, twirling around his chair on his feet. “You know, they’re absolutely _livid_ over your discovery of the Golden Mask!”

“… And?”

“Oho, yes! This guildmaster here senses that though whatever romantic drama may have encompassed you and them, they still harbor feelings for you! And you for them! My last conversation with them was only a day before, and even then they couldn’t stop complaining about you! And, Gardevoir, oh, the poor girl, she was unbelievably stoic about it all while Lopunny and Medicham wailed and wailed!”

“Guildmaster, you’re not making any sense whatsoever!” But Gallade had to admit, he was still proud over the fact that Team Charm (at least, Lopunny and Medicham — Gardevoir was strange) were still in love with him. His machismo and ego swelled, and he felt a tight smirk spread across his face.

“And so now that you know, they’re currently in a hunt to catch Darkrai and bring him to the Magnezone Police Department in order to complete the public’s demands for retribution!”

“?!?!”

“In other words!” Wigglytuff’s eyes pierced directly into Gallade’s, amusement sparkling in them. “Because you and your team stole their job of finding the Golden Mask, they have stolen your job in catching outlaws! Haha!”

“What of this foolishness?” Gallade half-chuckled, facepalming himself.

“Humor, my good friend, humor of this foolishness! We need it in serious times like these, you know!”

Gallade sighed, his smile still present. “Unless there is any other need of discussion, I will take my leave.”

“I will call you and Team Raider a little later then! Haha!” Wigglytuff continued dancing, waving goodbye all the while. “There is another matter I’d like to discuss at the request of the entire Team Raider!”

Gallade turned around, his back towards Wigglytuff as he began leaving the office. “And until then.” Gallade waved lackadaisically, exiting the door, a small chuckle leaving his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might as well use this space that AO3 provides for authors, though I don't know why I hadn't bothered using this before. Now that I'm using it, I'm thinking to myself, "You big dummy." :P
> 
> I updated some story plots and expanded more on certain characters. They include Gallade and his character, as well as Grovyle and his first to-be-attempt in stealing a Time Gear. Genevra and Redley’s (and even Salamence’s) arc, unfortunately, will have to wait until Chapter 16 to get resolved properly. What I feel most practical in importance in talking about is Giratina, for Giratina also gets a mention (remember Dialga from Chapter 4?). More specifically, it’s the Latin Giratina is reciting.
> 
> Here is what I wrote for Giratina’s speech in Chapter 15:
> 
> … Libera nos, libera nos, libera nos de morte primordiales aeterna…
> 
> Translated to English, it means:
> 
> … Free us, free us, free us from the primordial, eternal death…
> 
> Admittedly, I am still learning Latin (while attempting German, Italian and a bunch of other languages), so there is a possibility of error usage in terms of adjective placement in describing the kind of death that Giratina is praying for the world to be freed from. If anyone actually knows that I’m making an error, dropping a notice via the ask box would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> My only desire is that I wish the Latin I knew was more of the archaic kind of Latin, though I’d have to find a specialist to translate it in archaic Latin for good enigmatic effect for the story. After all, had it been written in archaic Latin, it would leave a smaller chance for any reader to decipher it as easily as the standard Latin we learn in school.
> 
> But nonetheless, it will do.
> 
> -March 18, 2015


End file.
